#and to address the shallow end of this pool:

[wheresarizona]

Columba 

summary: It isn’t until you’re in his home that you learn it’s General Marcus Acacius who’s summoned you for your services—you’re not sure why he did, when the other courtesans standing beside you, hoping to be chosen by him, have bodies that look nothing like yours.

pairing: Marcus Acacius/Plus Size f!reader (Courtesan)

rating: E (18+!! This is smut. No y/n, explicit smut, plus size reader, courtesan reader, age gap (reader is of legal age in today’s standards), takes place pre-Gladiator 2, dommy Marcus Acacius (loves giving orders), he’s a tiny bit possessive, unprotected p in v (wrap it up!), creampie, rough sex, backshots, woman on top, oral sex (m receiving), vaginal fingering, breast worship, hair pulling (m receiving), slight breeding kink, (1) pussy slap, dirty talk, spanking, spit mention, some biting, with hair like that he wants it pulled, some sweetness at the end) 

word count: 4.8k+

a/n: I took one look at Marcus’ hair and immediately thought, that guy likes his hair pulled. I also decided that since he spends weeks to months with a bunch of men at a time, when he comes home, he really appreciates a curvy woman. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be able to write anything for him until I saw the movie, but the trailer got me. This is unbeta’d, all mistakes are my own. I hope you enjoy!

Thank you for reading! Comments and reblogs feed me. I’d love to know what you thought!

Masterlist

It was the marble bust atop a pedestal that revealed whose home you were in. The opulence of the domus’ atrium, with its four tall marble columns surrounding the impluvium's shallow, sunken pool in the middle of the room and the compluvium’s opening in the ceiling above it, allowing the moon’s light to filter in, told you whoever lived here had notoriety—then you saw the face carved out of stone, recognizing the curls and strong nose you'd only ever seen as he was paraded past you down the street in honor of his latest victory, and you knew.

General Marcus Acacius is a man feared by many for his ferocity and skills in battle. It's been said Mars, the God of War, blessed his birth, while others believe his bloodline is descended from the God himself. What you know to be true is he's a gifted General that the Emperors and Gods have smiled upon, and in his presence, an intimidating figure you didn't dare look at unless you were addressed.

There are four women standing to your right, all of you younger than him, naked, and courtesans of the highest standard—well-educated and well-versed in politics along with the pleasures of the body—and highly sought out by society's elite. 

Marcus is at the opposite end, silently making his way down the line with what you can only assume is a scrutinizing eye, and you fear there's been a mistake that you're here—the other courtesans are all built similarly with small breasts, flattened stomachs and thinner waists than yours, whereas you’re curvier, and have more meat on your bones, with your bigger chest, soft noticeable belly, and grabbable hips. Clearly, he requested a particular type of woman, and it doesn't appear you're it. Staring down at the tiled floor seems better than seeing the disappointment on his face when he gets to you. 

His sandaled feet come into view as he stands before you, and you can feel his eyes roaming over your bare body—golden snake bracelets coil around each of your upper arms, and at the unexpected gentle touch of his fingertips to one, you flinch. 

"Do I frighten you?" His voice is a low, deep rasp that shivers down your spine. 

"No, Sir," you answer.

His thumb strokes over the snake's head and along its body. "Why do you flinch?" 

Raising your head, you see he’s wearing a white tunic with a gold pattern lining around his neck, down his arms, and along the hem, a belt securing it at his waist; golden cuffs covered his wrists. You’re met with dark eyes, a furrow crinkling between his eyebrows—his brown hair with a kiss of gray, curls like waves on his head, his facial hair dotted with a few silvery strands. It takes you a second to answer his question because the glimpses of him you caught during victory parades and the marble bust didn't prepare you for his beauty. 

Mars and Venus have bestowed their blessings upon him. 

“My apologies, Sir,” you finally reply. “It was simply surprise at being graced by your touch.” His expression is difficult to read, so you continue speaking, “I’ve heard of your prowess in battle that inspires songs and how your enemies tremble before you, but I do not believe I have reason to fear you—unless that is something you wish. Do you wish for me to be frightened of you?” 

Some men liked it if you acted afraid of them to feel powerful. Some men, usually the big, tough ones, liked to bury their faces in your bosom while you held them. The slight show of relief on Marcus’ face when you said you had no reason to fear him made you suspect he’d be in the latter category. 

“No.” His eyes are locked onto yours. “I do not need another to fear me. I wish for you to want my touch.” 

“I wish for more than your touch,” you reply. “I wish to feel your lips on mine and your weight on top of me, I wish to feel your cock inside me and to hear the sounds you make when you peak, and I do wish for your touch; I wish to feel your hands claim my body as yours.” 

His gaze turns to one of desire, and it makes you smile. 

"You," he says. "Stay. The rest of you,” he announces, keeping his eyes on yours, “leave us.”

The invitation the messenger brought to your home the day prior did not state who requested your services; it simply said the person was a public figure, and the woman picked would be paid handsomely.

The servants, who stood as still as statues against a wall, scurried to assist each of the other women with redressing.

"Come," he orders, offering you a hand you accept. He leads you to a room you realize is his personal quarters when you spot his armor in a corner, Medusa's golden head on the cuirass shining in the candlelight—she wards off evil and offers protection. There's a bed against the wall opposite the door, and he lets go of your hand, slipping off his sandals by the doorway before walking over to a thin table laden with a jug, cups, and a bowl of berries and grapes. 

"Care for some wine?" he asks without looking at you while pouring himself a cup. 

His body is tense, and you’re assuming you’re here to help him relax—he arrived home only days ago from war, and you got a chance to see him rolling down the street on a chariot as he waved to the cheering masses. It would make sense that he could use somebody with your expertise to get him to unwind. 

“No, thank you, Sir,” you answer, and he faces you again, taking a drink. “It’s a great honor that you chose me, and I do not wish to forget a single moment.” 

His cup lowers, and you're surprised to find he’s wearing a little smile. He twists to set his wine down next to the jug, and removes the cuffs from his wrists, setting them onto the table then his eyes are on yours. 

"Marcus," he says, and it only takes a few strides to have him in front of you again. 

"I'm sorry?" you ask.

His attention moves to your body, and he’s not looking upon you like an object or something he’s just purchased as most men do; his gaze is appreciative, the same kind of look you could imagine was on his face when he stared at art that pleased him. Your figure isn’t the ideal for most Roman women—your hips are too wide, your breasts are too large, your ass is too big, your thighs are too thick, and your stomach is too noticeable—yet, there are many men who sought you out and paid well for your time, and it seems the General is one of them. 

"My name." He walks around you, his fingers sliding along your upper back from shoulder to shoulder. “Call me Marcus. I want you to be familiar with how my name tastes on your tongue.” 

The touch and his words cause your nipples to harden and goosebumps to rise on your skin.

"Marcus,” you say. 

He’s in front of you again, his darkened eyes on yours. His big hands grip your waist, pulling you into him, and he shoves his face into the crook of your neck, feeling him inhale deeply. “Gods, you’re the best thing I’ve smelled in months.” The words are said against your flesh. “Like a meadow of flowers in Spring, and I fail to remember the last time I felt such softness.” He squeezes the fleshy handles at your hips and goes lower to grab handfuls of your ass, then runs his hands up your back. “Upon hearing your description,” he says, “I knew you’d be perfect, but what I imagined has no comparison to seeing your beauty with my own eyes.” His admission catches you off guard as it sounds as though he always intended to pick you from the line of women. It’s curious that he even invited the others if his mind had been set beforehand. He straightens, meeting your gaze. “Take off my clothes.” 

There's no need to reply; you just do as he ordered, getting his belt undone, the leather falling to the floor, then pulling his tunic over his head, it meeting the same fate as his belt. 

He’s completely nude, standing at his full height before you. 

You expected the scars etched all over his body, the evidence that he'd lay down his life for Rome without hesitation. There's a long, jagged one across his right pec, silvered with age, that has you forgetting yourself and softly pressing your fingertips to it.

He snatches your smaller hand, pulling it away from his marred skin. 

"My apologies," you quickly say, bowing your head in submission. "I shouldn't have touched you without permission." 

"You may touch me." Once again, he surprises you by putting the flat of your palm against the scar, his other hand grabbing your chin to lift your face. 

From his reaction to your fingers on him, you think he hasn’t been with a woman in quite some time, and you hope you can make up for all the nights he spent alone. 

It seems he's done with the pleasantries when his lips crush into yours. It's all of the encouragement you need, kissing him back while rubbing your palms up his broad chest, feeling his warmth. You snake a hand down his stomach through the trail of hair low on his belly to take his half-hard cock into your hand—he groans and twitches in your hold.

He truly has the Gods' favor—a talented General, handsome and well-endowed. 

With his hands on your waist, he walks you backward to the bed, laying you on the mattress. He's on top of you, deepening the kiss with his tongue pressing into your mouth, his hand palming your tit, making you wet with arousal and your body heat. 

It's fascinating how he's defying all of your expectations. The men who seek you out after spending months fighting are often rough and brutish, using you however they want to release their tension. There's never kissing or offers of drink; it's orders to suck their cocks, or to get on the bed in their desired position—and here's Marcus kissing down your body, along the skin of your neck to your chest. Most of his weight is on his knees between your legs while bending forward over you, and the only word you can think of to describe it is he's worshipping your breasts. He has them in his hands, moving from one to the other, licking, sucking, and nibbling on your nipples and soft skin, the sensations making your pussy weep with need. 

“Gods, Marcus,” you moan. He has you squirming with how good it feels, your fingers pushing into his curls. He takes a pebbled bud between his teeth and gently tugs. “Oh,” you gasp, your hands tightening in the tousled waves on his head.

He releases your nipple. “Harder,” he rasps, then flicks his tongue against your stiff peak, and you do as requested, pulling his hair harder. A loud groan rumbles from his chest as he continues laving at your tits, skimming his hand down your stomach, your skin tingling under his fingertips, until he’s sliding two fingers through your wet slit. You tighten your hold on his head, your toes curling when he starts rubbing your clit, and the realization hits that he intends for you to have just as much enjoyment as him. 

"Marcus," you whine.

He’s one of those men who has you praying that he’ll wish for your company again, and you wouldn’t even make him pay if you got another chance to warm his bed. 

The push of his thick digit into your pussy makes your breath hitch at the slight stretch, his thumb pressing to your sensitive bundle of nerves, moving side to side—you know he’s going to make you come, and you silently thank the Gods.

His finger is pushing in and out of you, his thumb continuing its movements, and he lifts his face to look you in the eyes, his own are so black there’s hardly a sliver of brown remaining. "Come for me," he commands, slipping a second digit inside you—you’re so wet you can hear the slick slide of his fingers pumping into you. The muscles in your belly are tightening, and the fire in your core is building. "Come for me, sweet girl." His head dips to lightly bite your nipple before soothing it with his tongue. "Once you come, I'll do as you wish and sheath my cock into this perfect cunt." 

The hot heat of his mouth envelops your pebbled bud, and he sucks—it's your undoing; your eyes close as you fall over the edge, coming with a moan of his name. His digits and mouth continue to extend your ecstasy while your chest heaves with labored breaths and your heart pounds. 

He lets go of your nipple with a wet pop, his hand sliding from your pussy, up your stomach, leaving a trail of your release on your skin. His voice deepens, “You’ve done well for me, and I keep my word—turn over.” 

He helps you to roll onto your front, and you get up onto your hands and knees—a familiar position. He takes a moment to admire you in front of him, his palms feeling the thickness of your thighs and hips. His fingers dig into your plump asscheeks as he spreads them and dips his head, hearing and feeling him spit between them, the hot saliva dripping from your asshole down to your opening. He shuffles up behind you, sliding his cock through the wetness of your come and his spit to lubricate himself, then notches it at your entrance—you both moan as he slowly starts feeding himself into you. 

Gods, he’s big. 

There’s a slight burn with how he’s stretching you, your inner walls having to accommodate his ample girth, and once he’s pressed all the way to the root inside you, a breath leaves you that you hadn't realized you'd been holding in. 

He has a tight grip on your waist and pulls out almost all the way, immediately pushing back into you hard enough there's a clap when his hips hit your ass. This was expected, Marcus setting up a rhythm that punches the air from your lungs each time he thrusts forward—he’s working out what he doesn’t wish to feel, and with how slippery it is between your legs, he's moving easily, and the brutal pace feels amazing. 

Many times, you’ve had to fake your enjoyment to make those employing you think they’re talented lovers—the majority are selfish in bed and care little about your comfort but want their egos stroked. Marcus, on the other hand, earned your favor when he took the time to ready you with his fingers and allowed you to climax. 

He's pounding into you, the collide of his body against yours making your asscheeks shake, and with how his cock is pressing into something truly divine, he’s also earned your screams of his name and whatever incoherent words are babbling from your mouth—he has you dizzy with pleasure, heat coiling in your belly, and there’s no doubting the Goddess of Beauty and Sex has given him her blessing. 

Sounds are spilling unbidden from your lips, Marcus loudly grunting with each stroke, the wet slap of skin hitting skin echoing in the room, and you look over your shoulder—the candlelight around the room shows the glisten of sweat on his golden skin. His head is thrown back, his eyes closed, and his jaw slack. Hair is sticking to his forehead, and a beautiful rosy flush has begun on his chest, rising up his neck to paint his cheeks. You can't think of another you've laid with who looked so breathtaking while taking their pleasure, and you could only imagine how glorious he’d look on the battlefield. You don't know what comes over you, reaching your hand back to touch his hip, and suddenly, he’s looking at you, his eyes glazed with lust. 

It’s as though he’s been in a trance, losing himself in your body, and now he’s come back to be in the moment with you. He falls forward, his hands sinking into the mattress on either side of you, blanketing your back and slowing his pace. His chin is on your shoulder, and he bites the shell of your ear; all of his weight goes onto one arm to free up the other that roughly grabs your breast and plucks at your nipple.

“You take me so well,” he says into your ear, his cock continuing to slide in and out of you. “Your sweet little cunt will milk me dry, and then I’ll have you again and again after that to keep you full of my seed.” 

His words steal a moan from your lips. 

“Does that please you, my sweet girl?” he asks. “You wish for more of me? Has another ever fucked you so good?” He gets his hand between your legs to circle the pearl of your pleasure, and your jaw drops, eyes closing—he’s going to make you come again. “Answer me,” he growls, lightly slapping your clit, and you clench around him. 

It’s challenging to think, but you say, “No,” and push your ass back against him as he thrusts forward, fucking yourself on him to get closer and closer to your end. “I’ve never had such fortune.” 

“You do now—by morning, I’ll have you ruined for any other man, and your cunt won’t soon forget the shape of my cock.” 

He means every word that slips from his tongue, and it sets the fire in your belly ablaze. You’re holding yourself up on shaky limbs, the muscles in your stomach knotting up—you’re close.

“Marcus,” you moan. 

His warm breath tickles your ear as he speaks into it: “I love how my name sounds from your lips. I know you’re close. Give in so I can feel you ascend to the heavens.” 

His words, the fullness of his thick shaft moving in and out of you, and his fingers swirling around your sensitive bundle at the apex of your thighs has you shattering—stars burst behind your eyelids as white-hot pleasure erupts in your center, your pussy clamping down on him hard enough he slows to a stop, and groans in your ear.

You exhale panted breaths, your heart beating rapidly, and the blissful euphoria ripples through your body, slowly ebbing away. 

Somehow, you find your voice, "Allow me to ride you." 

He kisses your shoulder, his beard scratching against your bare skin. "You want to mount me?" he asks. 

"Yes."

"Then you shall." 

He pulls out of you, an achy groan leaving him as he lies beside you on his back, and you get up onto your knees. He draws your attention with how he’s splayed out on the mattress, his long legs slightly spread and arms crossed over his head. His cock is still hard, it shiny with your juices, and resting against his lower belly, cushioned by the tantalizing path of hair that led directly to it—and he’s looking up at you, his eyes dark with want that keep lowering to your bosom, and back up to your eye line, the pink of his tongue wetting his bottom lip, that you suddenly wish to bite. 

There’s the common knowledge about Marcus all of Rome is aware of—the family he comes from and the military achievements that have led to him being the victorious General the Gods have blessed the city with, and now you’re versed in his more private attributes—he likes his women to be sturdy with sizeable breasts, he enjoys the pleasurable pain of his hair pulled, he’s a generous lover, he prefers to be in control unless you can tempt him enough to hand over the reins. It’s quite tempting for him to lie back and watch your tits bounce as you ride him. 

Shuffling in place to face him, taking his hard length in hand—he didn’t ask, and you didn’t offer, yet you want to take care of him like he took care of you, so you scoot back enough that you can bend down at the waist, wrapping your lips around the tip of his cock.

The sound of Marcus’ loud moan and the way his back arches as if it were the string of a bow shoots straight to your cunt—you can taste the mix of your essence and his arousal that’s steadily dribbling from the sensitive head that you lick and suckle; your hand easily stroking up and down the sheath of skin on his shaft. The muscles in his thighs and stomach have tensed like it’s taking everything in him to hold back and not fill your mouth with his come.

“Enough,” he grits the order through his teeth, and his palm lands on the side of your ass with a hard slap that echoes against the walls, the sharp sting getting a moan out of you—your head lifts off of him to see he’s scowling. “I’m not spilling down your throat,” he continues and smacks your ass again. “Ride me, or I’ll have you under me.” 

“Apologies, Marcus,” you reply demurely and sit up on your knees once more. Quickly, you move, throwing a leg over his waist to have your thick thighs hugging his hips. You rise, grabbing his cock, you press to your entrance, and you watch his face as you slowly start to impale yourself on him, relishing in how his mouth falls open and the tight grip he has on the meat of your thighs, his fingers digging into them hard enough it bordered on painful. 

The fullness is incredible when you sit flush against him, and you love how he fills you. Your palms find purchase on his broad chest, and you rise until only the tip of him remains inside of you, and you drop back down—the rhythm you set has you moving in his lap, up and down in quick succession, Marcus groaning, his eyes locked on the jiggle of your breasts. 

Sweat forms on your skin, feeling it on your forehead and a single drop sliding down your spine, your eyes closed as you focus, your moans stuttering each time you sink onto him. 

His hands are resting on your backside, rising and falling with you, his voice rough with pleasure, “That’s it, ride me, bounce on my cock.”

This isn’t about you, and though it feels good riding him, your goal is helping him achieve his own high, and you’re determined to do so—your hands leave him to press your tits together, and you gasp in surprise when he sits up and shoves his face into them. Your pace doesn’t waver, and you look at him to see he’s keeping himself up with an arm braced on the bed behind him, the other hand grabbing a handful of your ass, and you know he’s not going to last much longer. 

Your fingers slide into the unruly curls at the back of his head, and you yank them hard to make him look at you, Marcus hissing while his cock twitches inside you. In this position, you’re taller, and he gazes up to meet your eyes. 

“I want you to come,” you pant, continuing to fuck yourself on him. “I want to feel you flood my cunt with your seed.” The noise he makes sounds like a whine. “Then I want you to do it again, and again after that—I want you to fill me to the point I’m brimming with you, and you’re in me for days.” 

He squeezes his eyes shut as he groans out a long, drawn-out Fuck

With his beautiful neck on display, you duck your head and lick up the taut skin of his throat, wishing you could suck a mark into it to remind him of you for a while after you part ways. His free hand roughly grabs your chin to pull you close enough for him to slot his lips against yours, and you have to slow to a grind as he messily kisses you, shoving his tongue into your mouth. 

He breaks away to fall back onto the mattress, his fingers getting a tight grip on your ass, the muscles in his arms flexing as he lifts you enough to start thrusting up into your soaked pussy rapidly—he’s grunting while baring his teeth to chase his high, and all you can do is press your palms to his chest for balance while keeping yourself raised enough for him to pound into you. 

The slick push and pull of him, moving in and out of you, has you chanting his name, and it sounds wet between your legs, hearing the clap of skin on skin of him plowing into you. Perspiration makes his tan flesh glint under the candle's light, his hair is a mess atop his head, and his expression is wild; it’s no surprise when his strokes get uneven and his eyes close. Marcus tugs your ass down to bury himself as far as possible in you as he gives in, coming with a guttural groan—you feel his cock jerk and the wet pulse as he paints your insides with spurts and spurts of his spend, wringing himself out until his body goes completely lax.

He pulls you forward to lie on top of him, wrapping his arms around your middle, and turns you both onto your sides. There’s a hiss that slips from his lips when he removes his softening length from your cunt, and you smile at Marcus sliding down the bed far enough for his face to nuzzle in your bosom while hugging you tight. Your fingers stroke through his sweat-damp curls, his hums of appreciation sounding like the purr of a cat. 

Minutes pass in silence as your breaths even out and your hearts slow. After some time, he says something you can’t make out.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you,” you reply. 

His head lifts, and he kisses under your chin. “Stay,” he says again. 

“I have no intention of leaving. I’m here until you send me away.” 

“And if I don’t wish to send you away?” 

His lips trail along your jaw. 

Your eyebrows pull together. “As I said, I’m here until you request my leave.” 

“And if I never request your leave?” 

He’s kissing your neck now, the question making your eyes round. “You intend for me to be your mistress?” 

It’s not uncommon for a courtesan to become one’s mistress. Some of you are from families of wealth and do this line of work for the powerful connections, while others are freedwomen who’ve worked their way up to earn their notoriety—either case, courtesans are respected and thought to make great mistresses. 

“That is all I can offer since I have no plans to marry,” he answers. “You can stay here with or without me when I’m ordered away, and whatever is left of my salary and spoils of war after the household debts are paid, you may keep.”

He makes you frown. 

“Why me?”

Marcus gets his arm out from under you and scoots up the mattress to look you in the eyes. 

“You’re everything I desire in a woman with your beauty and intellect, and you can sate my needs in bed—you’re perfect, and I want you all to myself. I do not wish to share you with anyone else.”

It’s in this moment you realize you’re the one in control here—you don’t need him, you’re self-sufficient, and there are many who’d eagerly take his place, but your looks are rare in your profession, and he needs his deal to be enticing enough for you to take it. 

“What if I decline your offer?” 

“Then I pray you’ll allow me to keep your company until I receive my next orders.” 

He seems to be a good, honorable man who wants to please you, and he had you tempted to accept on the merit of his skills in bed alone—there’s just something that won’t leave your mind. 

“Before I make my decision, answer this question: if you believe me to be so perfect, why were the others here?” 

He presses his large palm to your cheek. “It was in your power to deny me your company, and though the other women weren’t of my tastes, they were better than nothing.” 

You see no flaws in his answer. 

“I accept your offer on one condition.”

“And that is?”

You no longer find him intimidating, and you’re now comfortable brushing errant hairs off his forehead and sliding your fingers through the curls above his ears. 

Your eyes lock onto his. “You return home to me,” you tell him. “You fight with the might of Mars, and you always return home to me.” 

That earns you a small smile, and he takes your hand into his, kissing the center of your palm. 

“I will, my Dove.” 

Masterlist

Thank you for reading! If you’d like to be tagged in my fics, please fill out the form in my bio, on my masterlist, or just let me know!

[p-taryn-dactyl]

way down we go: the aftermath (i)

a/n: hi!! I love this AU and im so happy that y'all liked it!! i know i said that there wouldn't really be a long fic continuation but i think this AU has some real potential and so im back lmao, it's been a while

word count: 1.9k

warning(s): agatha is a serial killer - psychological manipulation (kind of) - 👀 🌶️ - i have no real clue how police and stuff works this is so fiction - rushed ending im sorry - this might be bad but hey! i wrote something (oh and, first time writing anything remotely spicy on this blog so please be kind)

pairing(s): serial killer!Agatha Harkness x forensic scientist!reader

way down we go & way down we go ii

The trial came and went, a passing memory in your mind, pushed away so you wouldn't see her eyes boring into your dreams. 

It didn't work. 

Every night since you sat as a witness against Agatha, blue eyes followed you to sleep, haunting you with their coldness. Every night you woke up in a cold sweat, a phantom knife held to your throat. 

This night wasn't different as you shot out of bed with a gasp, a sheen of sweat covering your skin. Checking the time, you allowed yourself a bit of gratitude at the amount of sleep you got this night. 

Deciding to get into work early to examine bone samples of a cold case that you had reopened, you stretched and walked to your bathroom to get ready. It was a numbing experience, Agatha's humming no longer filling the air to sooth your mind. Soon, you found yourself in your car on the road. As you pulled into the parking garage of the building, a feeling akin to dread pooled in your stomach. Never before did the cold, dark atmosphere of the garage haunt you, follow you, as it did right then. You parked, in your regular spot, a sense of normalcy that did little to calm your nerves. 

Agatha had claimed insanity, a response to the abuse and PTSD given to her by her own mother, a claim that had kept her off of death row. You would never admit to anyone that you were relieved, relieved that the woman you loved for so long wouldn’t meet her end in a dark room strapped to an inhumane device. However, unless you made the decision to visit, Agatha would spend the rest of her days in a federal prison. 

When you got out of your car, you had the feeling of being watched, a feeling you knew all too well. But when you looked around, no one was there. However, a fluttering noise caught your attention, drawing you to the concrete pillar next to your spot. A piece of paper, duck taped, fluttered in the small gusts of wind. You tore it off, opening the folded paper and promptly dropping it onto the ground below. 

You knew that handwriting. 

Before the note could be taken away with the wind, you crouched on the ground, picking up the paper and leaning against the pillar as you read. 

You won’t find anything with the bones, they’re old and dry: useless. Go back to where they were found, let’s see what you discover there. See you soon, my darling. 

~ A

It felt like years could pass and you were stuck in place. Millions of questions ran through your mind as your hands gripped the letter in a vice like grip. 

How did she know what you were doing?

How did she know about the bones?

How did she send this letter?

How, how, how?

No answers entered your mind, you could think of no way, no reason, that Agatha could’ve accomplished this. But curiosity prevailed and you stood up, making your way back into the driver's seat. 

This cold case has been the bane of your existence for far too long. Only bits of bones were found, a shallow grave that was old when discovered. No one had ever found the skull, let alone enough for a full skeleton. It was like the second the bones were discovered the case ran cold. Even if it was your wi- even if it was Agatha bringing to light new possible discoveries, you would take it. Solving this case could get you back on your feet, as you had been hiding in your lab in the months of Agatha’s trial. You entered the address of the crime scene, a long abandoned park and walking path thirty minutes away, into your GPS and drove away. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The air was almost still with anticipation as you walked the path. The bits of bones had been found only a few hundred feet away and you felt a pull towards the spot. But as you got closer, you saw a stick standing straight up in the ground, marking the exact location of the shallow grave. On it was another piece of paper, with words that sent you falling to your knees, digging in the soft dirt with your hands, 

Here lies Evanora Harkness, first to die, the one with no regret. 

Dirt clung to your nails, roots stung against your skin as you clawed the ground away, making it past the spot where the initial grave ended. But as you kept going, you came across smaller bones. A body of a long decomposed rabbit lay in front of you, something to throw search dogs off their scent. You kept digging. You dug until your arms burnt with the strain, until your arms were covered in a thin layer of the earth. You dug until you found it. 

The skull. 

Its position in the ground told you how the body had been buried. Methodically, of course, but as if Evanora was standing up in the ground, arms stretched to the sky. The finger bones were what you had collected years previous. 

As you held the skull in your hands, you felt an indent on the jaw. A cut from her throat, sloppy with the hands of someone first committing murder. This really was Agatha’s first victim. But why had she led you here, how did she lead you here? One more body equaled another life sentence, no chance of ever seeing daylight again. 

Your phone started ringing, the horrible service on the walking path letting a stray call through. You answered, but Darcy’s voice barely made it over the static. 

“Turn on the news!” Was all you could hear before the call fell through. 

The panic in your colleagues and friend’s voice made you stand with haste, putting the skull back into the ground and frantically pushing the dirt back into the hole. You grabbed the stick, breaking it and throwing it off the trail as you crumbled up the note, stuffing it in your back pocket. 

There was a gas station almost right outside the park. You rushed in, your mind going a thousand miles per hour. Why would Darcy want you to turn on the news? You had your answer almost the second you crossed the threshold. A group of people stood in front of the cashier, who had a small TV hanging above their head. The news was playing, a somber looking reporter standing in front of a landscape covered with tape and police cars. 

“Earlier this week, a mass confusion occurred outside Salem Penitentiary. Law enforcement said that, at the time, they didn’t know how bad the damage was. But now, as reports flood in, they have no choice but to release what really happened. A prison break. Some two hundred…” 

Her voice trailed off in your mind, muffled by your shock. 

The notes, the feeling of being watched, the cold case. 

Agatha had escaped. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The drive back home was loud. You blasted music, yelled at others on the road, honked at people to get out of your way. When you pulled into your driveway, it was like a wave of deja vu crashed over you. The car went silent as you turned it off, your eyes never leaving the shadow in the window. Slowly, you got out of the car, your heart practically beating out of your chest. You opened the front door, the silent aura of your home expectant as you walked further into your house. In the living room, it was like history repeating itself. Except this time, your wife held no wine and had no knife. She wore clothes from the closet you couldn’t bear to clean out, looked like she had recently taken a shower - something you were suddenly very aware you needed, but her eyes stayed the same. Cold and blue, boring into you. You steeled yourself, not letting your eyes fall from hers as you approached her. Agatha just watched until you were a foot in front of her, she uncrossed her legs and spread her arms out like she wanted a hug. You hated how fast you folded, rushing to straddle her lap and wrap your arms around her. Burying your face into her neck, you felt tears build up in your eyes. For a moment, you would let yourself pretend. Pretend that your wife wasn’t a serial killer, pretend that she hadn’t been in prison for months, pretend that it was all a bad dream and she was consoling you. 

“Oh how I missed you, darling,” her voice sent chills down your spine. It held overwhelming affection, but she spoke as if detached. It was then you realized the last time she had seen you was when you sat the witness stand, giving the evidence to put her away for lifetimes. You leaned back, letting your arms rest on her shoulders as you stared at her. Her eyes examined you, running over the bags under your eyes, the dirt layering the skin on your arms. Seeing the concern in her eyes made something in your mind crumble. 

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, right? And honestly, her victims had no one to miss them so-

You internally shook your head at yourself. No, you couldn’t think like that, you couldn’t-

Your train of thought was interrupted by Agatha’s hands cupping your face. You brought up your hands to cover hers, tears now streaming down your face. 

“I-I’m sorry,” you choked out, noticing how something in Agatha’s eyes softened at your words, “I thought I was doing the right thing, I didn’t want-”

She cut you off with a light kiss, which deepened as her grip on your face grew tighter. Soon, your lips were crashing against hers with a ferocity you had missed. Craved. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around you as she stood. Never once breaking the kiss. She brought you to the spot you stood all those months ago, pressing you against the wall as she kissed down your neck, sucking lightly at your collarbone. 

“Agatha-”

“Did you miss me?” She cut you off with a bite to your shoulder, pushing your sleeve down your arm with strength that almost tore the seams. You let out a breathy gasp, surprised. 

“I,” you swallowed, about to admit something out loud that you had only thought for months, “I did, I do, I miss you so much.” The tears came back, flooding your eyes and choking your words. Agatha looked up, slowly letting you down so you could stand as she put one arm by your head. 

“I’m right here, I don’t plan on leaving you alone for a long time.” 

The smile she gave you was shark like, all teeth. You were her prey and you fell right into her trap. Her free hand trailed down your body, coming to pause over the buttons on your pants. She circled the metal, tapping it as she spoke. 

“Now, after our last conversation, I don’t think you believe me when I say I missed you,” some part of you shuddered with guilt, she was right, you didn’t believe her fully, “And I can’t have that. Why don’t I show you how much I missed you?” 

You gasped as she unbuttoned your pants, trailing her fingers down to the place that had been abandoned since Agatha went behind bars. She crashed her lips into yours again, licking the seam of your lips, begging to be let in. You parted your lips, allowing your wife to consume you. As her fingers pushed your underwear to the side, you wrapped your arms around Agatha’s neck tighter, raising one leg to hook around her hip. 

Oh this was a bad idea.

a/n: hehe, hopfully this was ok?? my writing slump has been EVIL and im just now crawling out of it

[waywardstation]

WIP WEDNESDAY SUNDAY

I CANNOT believe I had a poll done and everything for WIP Wednesday, and then entirely forgot to actually post something for it!! I entirely blame the sexyman polls haha, it really took all my attention!

ANYWAYS! Fluff won over angst in the polls, but I decided since I didn’t post on time, I’ll put out one for both.

Fluff is first, then angst. Both are from upcoming chapters in HFBE

Enjoy! wording is apt to change.

————

FLUFF

“Yeah!” The teenager hiked the backpack up a little higher by its straps, unable to help a proud smile from making its way onto her face - he could tell she was excited to be a part of it. “The professor asked me to come with them! We’re leaving right now, but I had to come and say goodbye first! It’s going to be a few days, and I gotta make sure you’ll be fine without me around!”

Her joking tone hid it well, but Ingo could still identify the concern lurking beneath the surface, and it pained him that she felt like she had to worry so.

“Well, bravo! I’m sure you’ll do a fine job in assisting them. And I can assure you, I will be alright; I will eagerly await your return to Jubilife. But until then,” Ingo turned to address his coworker, with a more jesting tone. “I have Miss Zisu to keep me company. She won’t leave me alone until I can run my laps faster than her, it seems.”

“Oh, let's not get ahead of ourselves now!” Zisu laughed heartily at his exaggeration.

“If you say so,” Akari quipped with them, but Ingo could tell the hidden pool of worry didn’t grow any more shallow. She took a look back at the expedition group, to see they were already passing through the gates into the fieldlands. “Ah! They’re leaving! I gotta go, but I’ll see you first thing when I get back! But before I go-”

Arms were held out wide, waiting for Ingo to copy her.

“Hug?”

Ingo halfway opened his arms out of reflex before he stopped himself. “Er, Miss Akari, are you sure? I mean, I just finished running our laps. I admit I’m a little sw-”

Akari wrapped her arms around him in a hug before he could even finish the sentence, laughing against him. “I don’t care, I’m not gonna see you for two days! I need a hug before I go!”

————

ANGST

“So, the blood from earlier..?” A sideways glance at Ingo’s red-stained tunic, soaking in the bowl.

“Yes.” Ingo swallowed down any other words, his head dipping forward. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it.

“And this is also from, um…” Akari held up Ingo’s hand, pausing the wrapping. His desire not to talk about it suddenly made the whole subject a strict taboo of sorts to her, making her hesitant to even name it. “...what you were doing with the Pearl Clan?”

“Yes. It is simply a rope burn.”

Akari continued to wrap up his hand, concealing the friction burn under thick bandages. The irritated chafing on his palm was slightly warm with the heat collecting under the skin. It was a contrast to the rest of his hand; cold radiated from the surrounding muscle, the freeze collecting in the ends of his fingers.

Akari just kept wrapping, hoping the bandages would insulate his hand; it trembled as he suspended it for her. She moved to support his hand with one of her own, so that it would not be unsteady with such effort. But even as frozen as it was, Akari worried that the tremors weren’t entirely from the cold. She was aware of what else would make his hands shaky.

“Ingo, were you able to-”

Answering Akari’s question before she could even finish it, Ingo’s stomach rumbled vehemently. It was a terribly unpleasant noise, comparable to a wounded luxray. Wounded indeed - Akari could see visible discomfort in the way Ingo shut his eyes, and how his features tightened with a grimace.

[forginglace]

24, Al and Charles please

Hippolyta would probably know what the beast was called.

Atom didn’t.

What he did know was that a swipe of its claws had sent Doctor Mid-Nite crashing into the ground. Left deep tears that went through his vest and into his skin.

There was a growing pool of blood.

No time to think about that now. Because the beast looked like it was heading in Doctor Mid-Nite’s direction to finish the job.

The beast was stronger than the doctor. Tougher. In better shape.

And Doctor Mid-Nite didn’t look like he would be putting up much of a fight anytime soon.

What the beast didn’t have was atomic strength. Or the sheer desperation that caused Atom to face it head on.

It also couldn’t think to avoid an Amazon queen piercing its side with a sword while Atom wrestled it into stillness.

As its entrails fell from the wound, the fight finally ended. Atom slowly let go in case it managed a dying blow.

Hippolyta swung her sword and decapitated the beast.

A gruesome end. But based on the damage it had caused Atom couldn’t mind.

It was just as well that that was the end of the fighting. Someone needed to put pressure to Doctor Mid-Nite’s wounds. Try to keep him from bleeding out before help could arrive.

Queen Hippolyta set to that while Atom sent out a distress signal to the rest of the JSA. The other Doctor Mid-Nite, along with Doctor Midnight, would be there soon.

Atom rarely thought much about the other doctors. Or at least not more than any teammate he didn’t know well. He had a clear favorite with his doctor. But he couldn’t help but be glad for the moment that Charles’ students had decided to follow in his footsteps.

Not that he spared more than a second to that. After he confirmed the doctors were on the way he kneeled opposite to Hippolyta. He took Charles’ hand into his.

“Come on, Doc, wake up.” Atom looked at Charles’s chest to confirm its rise and fall. That it wasn’t already too late.

It felt like too long before the other doctors arrived. Al was left with nothing to do but watch Charles’ breaths get shallower despite Hippolyta’s efforts.

But the doctors eventually did arrive. Pieter taking Hippolyta’s place applying pressure while Beth started treating the injuries.

Pieter looked up from Charles at Al. “Atom, you need to let go.”

Al hadn’t expected himself to be addressed. He just knew he didn’t want to leave. “What?”

“You need to let go of his hand so we can move him.” Pieter sounded impatient.

But Al hadn’t even realized he was holding Charles’ hand. He looked down at it, at Charles’ glove contrasting with his own bare skin, and let go startled.

He got out of the way when Beth moved in his direction. She had applied some temporary bandages. But they would need to be replaced quickly once they got back to the Brownstone.

Still, for the moment the bleeding was stopped.

Al relaxed slightly. Then he noticed Pieter giving him a considering look.

He raised at eyebrow at the doctor. He was pretty sure it wasn't visible through his mask. But some people could seem to pick up on it.

Apparently Pieter was one of them. Pieter took it as his cue to ask Al, or rather inform Al of what he had already decided, “You are going to have to move Charles. You should be able to do it the smoothest of us.”

“Sure.” Al nodded. He couldn’t disagree. Hippolyta had left to see how the others were doing once she wasn’t needed to apply pressure. Out of the doctors and Al, Al was the strongest.

He had to admit, to himself if nobody else, that he was glad he could do something to help.

As he picked Charles up, Al finally felt the adrenaline start to ease.

Everything was being taken care of.

He still didn’t fully relax until a few hours after the doctors finished in the Brownstone, when Charles squeezed his hand back as he woke up.

That time Al had been aware of holding it at least.

[turftown27]

Swimming Pool Rules and Regulations: Ensuring Safety and Enjoyment for All

Swimming pools are a source of relaxation, exercise, and fun, but they can also pose safety risks if not managed properly. To ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all users, it's crucial to implement and follow comprehensive swimming pool rules and regulations. This article outlines essential guidelines and best practices to maintain safety, hygiene, and order in swimming pools.

Importance of Swimming Pool Rules and Regulations

Swimming pool rules and regulations are designed to prevent accidents, promote hygiene, and ensure that everyone can enjoy the pool safely. These rules cover a wide range of aspects, from general behavior to specific safety measures, and are enforced to protect all pool users.

General Rules and Conduct

1. No Running: The pool deck can be slippery when wet, making it hazardous for running. Ensuring that all users walk can prevent slips and falls. 2. No Diving in Shallow Areas: Diving in shallow water can result in serious injuries. Clear signage indicating the depth and no-diving zones should be prominently displayed. 3. Supervision of Children: Children should always be supervised by an adult. Lifeguards are there to enforce rules and respond to emergencies, not to babysit. 4. No Rough Play: Pushing, shoving, or other rough behavior can lead to accidents. Encouraging respectful conduct helps maintain a safe environment. 5. Appropriate Attire: Swimmers should wear proper swimwear. Street clothes, especially those made of cotton, can contaminate the water and hinder swimming.

Safety Measures

1. Lifeguard Presence: Qualified lifeguards should be on duty during pool operating hours to monitor activities and respond to emergencies. 2. Emergency Equipment: Life-saving equipment, such as life rings, reaching poles, and first aid kits, should be easily accessible and regularly maintained. 3. Clear Signage: Rules, safety instructions, and depth markers should be clearly visible around the pool area. 4. Restricted Areas: Certain areas, such as the deep end or the diving boards, may be off-limits to inexperienced swimmers or during specific times. 5. No Glass Containers: Glass can break and cause dangerous injuries. Only plastic or non-breakable containers should be allowed.

Hygiene and Cleanliness

1. Showering Before Entry: Bathers should shower before entering the pool to remove sweat, dirt, and other contaminants. 2. No Food or Drink in Pool: Consuming food or drinks in the pool can attract insects and create messes. Designated areas for eating and drinking should be provided. 3. Regular Pool Cleaning: The pool and surrounding areas should be cleaned regularly to maintain hygiene standards. 4. Proper Use of Restrooms: Encourage the use of restrooms and discourage urinating in the pool to keep the water clean and safe. 5. Proper Waste Disposal: Adequate trash bins should be available, and users should be encouraged to dispose of their waste responsibly.

Health and Wellness

1. Stay Hydrated: Swimmers should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, especially when spending extended periods in the pool. 2. Avoid Swimming When Sick: Individuals with contagious illnesses or open wounds should avoid using the pool to prevent the spread of infection. 3. Sun Protection: Encourage the use of sunscreen and wearing protective clothing to prevent sunburn and skin damage.

Compliance and Enforcement

1. Rule Enforcement: Pool staff should consistently enforce rules to ensure compliance. Warnings or temporary bans can be used as disciplinary measures for rule breakers. 2. Education and Awareness: Regularly educate pool users about the importance of following rules through signage, announcements, and staff interactions. 3. Feedback and Improvement: Encourage users to provide feedback on the rules and regulations. Continuously assess and update the rules to address new safety concerns or changing user needs.

Conclusion

Adhering to swimming pool rules and regulations is essential for maintaining a safe and enjoyable environment for all users. By understanding and respecting these guidelines, swimmers can help prevent accidents, promote hygiene, and ensure that everyone can make the most of their pool experience. Whether it's a public facility or a private pool, following these rules is a shared responsibility that contributes to the overall well-being and enjoyment of all participants.

Remember, the key to a safe and enjoyable swimming experience lies in everyone's commitment to adhering to the swimming pool rules and regulations.

[best-hotels-in-ottawa-with-pools]

Waterfronts Retreats: Ottawa’s Finest Hotels with Pools

When it comes to planning a perfect getaway, the allure of a luxurious hotel with a sparkling pool can make all the difference. Ottawa, Canada’s charming capital, offers a range of top-notch hotels with pools to make your stay both comfortable and memorable. Whether you’re traveling for business or leisure, these hotels have got you covered. Let’s have a look at the top 9 hotels in Ottawa with pools. 

Table of Contents

Delta Hotels by Marriott Ottawa City Centre 

Ottawa Marriott Hotel 

Lord Elgin Hotel 

Holiday Inn Express & Suites 

Novotel Ottawa City Centre Hotel

Homewood Suites by Hilton Ottawa Downtown 

The Westin Ottawa 

Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ottawa Airport

Delta Hotels by Marriott Ottawa City Centre 

For those seeking a comfortable stay close to Ottawa’s key attractions, Delta Hotels by Marriott Ottawa City Centre is a top choice. Just a 10-minute walk from Parliament Hill and a short drive from Rideau Canal, this 4-star hotel is perfect for all types of travelers.

The hotel’s indoor saltwater pool offers a delightful oasis, no matter the weather outside. The rooms come equipped with large flat-screen cable TV, free WiFi, a coffee maker and pay-per-view TV channels. Families will adore the kid’s play area and board games, making it a top choice for those traveling with little ones. 

Address: 101 Lyon St. N, Ottawa, ON K1R 5T9, Canada 

Ratings: 4.3

Phone: +1 613-237-3600

Ottawa Marriott Hotel

The Ottawa Marriott Hotel makes for the perfect luxurious hotel offering the ultimate level of comfort and convenience. 

The hotel boasts a fitness center, business center, and free WiFi throughout the property to keep you all on track at every front.

When the summer sun beats down, you can take a dip in the hotel’s cool indoor pool. And if you’re traveling with your family you’d love the game consoles, table tennis, and a billiards table to enjoy a good time. The hotel’s downtown location ensures you’re just minutes away from attractions like Byward Market and the Canadian War Museum. 

Location: 100 Kent St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5R7, Canada

Ratings: 4.2Phone: +1 613-238-1122

Lord Elgin Hotel

Nestled in the heart of Ottawa, the Lord Elgin Hotel boasts an unbeatable location. Situated across from the National Arts Centre and Parliament buildings, the National Art Gallery, and Byward Market, you’ll have a world of attractions at your doorsteps.

The hotel’s indoor swimming pool is a perfect place to relax, while the 24-hour fitness center caters to fitness-conscious travelers. The spacious guest room offers 49-inch TVs and top-notch amenities. Don’t forget to explore the Bywards market for some excellent shopping and dining. 

Location: 100 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5K8, Canada

Ratings: 4.3Phone: +1 613-235-3333

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Located just off Highway 174, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites offer comfort and value in one package. This hotel’s heated indoor pool is complemented by a shallow end perfect for kids to play safely.

Start your day with a complimentary hot buffet breakfast before exploring the city. The rooms come with air conditioning, WiFi access, a flat-screen television, and additional amenities for a comfortable stay. Plus, there’s free on-site parking, making it convenient for travelers with personal vehicles. 

Location: 235 King Edward Ave, Ottawa, ON K1N 7L8, Canada

Ratings: 4.0 Phone: +1 613-680-8006

Also Read Downtown Delights: 11 Must-Try Family Friendly Restaurants in Downtown Toronto

Novotel Ottawa City Centre Hotel

The Novotel Ottawa City Centre Hotel is a fantastic choice for those looking to stay in the heart of Ottawa. Just a 5-minute walk from the bustling Byward Market, the hotel offers modern guest rooms, an indoor pool and hot tub, free WiFi, and a range of other amenities. 

Workout enthusiasts can maintain their fitness routine in the 24-hour fitness center, while foodies can savor locally sourced dishes at the on-site restaurant, Albion Rooms. With a location that’s close to Parliament Hill and the National Gallery of Canada, this hotel is an ideal base for exploration. 

Location: 33 Nicholas St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9M7, Canada

Ratings: 4.2Phone: +1 613-230-3033

Homewood Suites by Hilton Ottawa Downtown 

Homewood Suites is your ticket to a luxurious and comfortable stay in Ottawa. Conveniently located near the Supreme Court of Canada, Parliament Hill, and the Canadian War Museum, this hotel offers a range of services and facilities.

Start your day with an American breakfast and enjoy room service, a restaurant, and a bar. The hotel’s fitness center and indoor pool are perfect for relaxation and workouts. Besides, the terrace provides captivating views of Ottawa’s cityscape. You can also find an on-site ATM for added convenience. 

Location: 361 Queen St, Ottawa, ON K1R 0C7, Canada

Ratings: 4.3Phone: +1 613-234-6363

The Westin Ottawa 

The Westin Ottawa stands out as one of the best hotels in Ottawa, thanks to its ideal location and outstanding guest services. Situated near the Rideau Centre Shopping Mall and the Shaw Centre, guests are mere steps away from shopping, dining, and entertainment options. 

The hotel’s rooms are well-furnished and equipped with all the required amenities. Fitness enthusiasts can hit the fully equipped fitness center and squash courts, and spend a good time unwinding in the indoor pool. The two on-site restaurants, Daly’s and the Shore Club offer delicious meals and make for the perfect dining spot. 

Location: 11 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1N 9H4, Canada

Ratings: 4.4 Phone: +1 613-560-7000

Also Read Exploring Ottawa’s Best Beaches Nearby

Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Tucked in the heart of downtown Ottawa, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier offers a wonderful blend of modern comfort and charm. The highlight of your stay? An impressive indoor pool that is often praised as the best in Ottawa. After a long day exploring the city’s treasures, unwind with a relaxing swim. The hotel also offers complimentary access to its health club and spa.

Dining options at the Chateau Laurier are nothing short of impressive. Zoe’s Lounge calls for afternoon tea or evening cocktails while Wilfrid’s Restaurant offers fine dining with captivating views of the nearby Parliament buildings. Natural lighting washes the guest rooms, ensuring a bright, inviting atmosphere for the visitors. 

Location: 1 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 8S7, Canada

Ratings: 4.4Phone:  +1 613-241-1414

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ottawa Airport

Get a front-row seat to watch planes come and go at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ottawa Airport. Offering comfortable high-end guest rooms, WiFi, and a pool, this is an excellent choice for business travelers. Start your day with a free breakfast and travel in comfort and style.

Location: 135 Thad Johnson Private, Ottawa, ON K1V 1A2, Canada

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹       “  how  long,  do  you  think,  until  someone  gets  stuck  out  in  the  water  ?  “  alistair  leaned  to  the  side,  addressing  the  person  to  his  left.  “  not  that  i’m  hoping  that  happens–  obviously  that  would  be  tragic,  and  someone  would  have  to  go  all  the  way  out  there  to  rescue  them,  “  raising  the  beer  he  was  drinking,  he  took  a  sip,  humming  thoughtfully,  “  but  mixing  alcohol  and  the  ocean  seems,  at  least  to  me,  like  a  kind  of  bad  idea.  don’t  get  me  wrong,  i’m  having  a  great  time,  “  his  hand  touched  his  chest  in  mock  sincerity,  “  but  surely  someone  else  is  not  going  to  be  by  the  end  of  the  night.  i’ve  been  to  parties  with  shallow  pools  where  people  don’t  know  how  to  act,  let  alone  the  whole  damn  ocean.  “  /  OPEN

[tryst-art-archive]

September 2009: "Memoir Attempt 1"

              There is a baby in a white car seat with primary colored polka dots. The car seat is on a long, folding table, and that folding table is in the Knights of Columbus with its dim lights and speckled linoleum floor. The baby, a girl, looks around blankly. She is not happy, but she hasn’t begun to cry, either. There are shadows falling across her – the heads and torsos of chattering great aunts. They talk of the baby, and  that baby is me.

              I wake from the dream in absolute terror which subsides now, ebbing away as the ocean does. In its place comes the slow, shocking realization that I have absolutely no idea who I am.

              But soon I will remember, like a phonebook listing, the mundane details of my identity. I am [full name]. I live at [street address] in [town], Massachusetts. My 18-year-old self can no longer recall the phone number, the zip code, the other details that filtered into my mind in a sudden cascade of recollection and understanding, but my 5-year-old self knew it all. Just nothing personal. No other memories. I recall walking into the kitchen and seeing my mother sitting at the dining table. I remember thinking, “This is… mother.” The memory ends with my sitting down beside her.

              I find reality to be subjective, hazy, and, when it seems to be more than a passing fancy, disappointing. I’ve spent a great deal of my life having very specific dreams which foretell events weeks, months, even numerous years, in the future. I have found myself living and feeling that I do no more than daydream. For me, feeling that what is currently happening truly is occurring is a rarity. My first memory is of the most inexplicably frightening dream I have ever had. Many of my subsequent memories are of dreams or seemingly unreal events.

              For example, there was one dream I had around the age of 7 or 8 in which I was in an inflatable wading pool that was too shallow for me. Other children were around, but I paid them no mind, and swam around in my pool. Bored but content, I swam to an edge of the pool and rested my arms and torso on the edge, and there, across the way from me, something caught my eye. A mystery. Children taking off shoes and socks to climb into a peculiar, inflated contraption with an adult looking on merrily, and a shining object attached to this inflated chamber.

I was certain it was a laser that would kill me if I did not flee.

              Well, some months after this dream, I attended a birthday party for a younger cousin and, lo and behold, the events of the dream played out. I swam to the edge of the pool, and saw across from me, a bouncing chamber, a moonwalk, into which children climbed. On the side of this bounce house? A shining silver square precisely as in the dream.

              Fear filled me, holding me in place. Then slowly, carefully, I rose from the pool and moved toward the shining object, petrified that it was dangerous while aware that it could not be.

              It turned out to be a silver tag of safety warnings that had simply been catching the sunlight.

              So, you see, reality is highly mutable.

              It is raining. We are drenched from our walk – from IHOP to train to apartment – through the damp. I stand at the top stair to the apartment, and turn back to look at him. For a moment, I have a double image. There is the smiling P[...] of now, who is part way through one of the best days of both our lives, and there is a P[...] that has haunted the vague snippets of dreams that I can recall upon waking. This latter is frowning with anger or sorrow or sultry rage or perhaps just a sulk; I’m not sure. But he is standing in the same place, and he is done with me, done with this life, ready to move on. Somehow, even though the circumstances of the dream and reality are different, I have a strong sense of déjà vu, and I am thrown off balance.

              But the double image passes, and I push it from my mind as best I can. I smile and move  a step lower to kiss my love.

              Now, here is an important thought about this: that particular double image happens all the time, though it was strongest at that moment due to its being the most out of place

[americanlifeguard]

Phoenix Parks and Recreation is offering $3,000 in incentive pay for lifeguards

The American Lifeguard Association commends the City of Phoenix for offering their lifeguards a $3,000 incentive this summer. Could this summer's lifeguard shortage be resolved if more employers offered such incentives?

City of Phoenix Offers $3,000 Incentive to 2023 Certified Aquatics Staff

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department is offering $3,000 in incentive pay for certified lifeguards. The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department needs to hire pool managers, assistant managers and hundreds of lifeguards ahead of the 2023 pool season to safely open as many of the city's 29 public pools as possible.

Eligible certified managers, assistant managers and lifeguards will receive $500 on the first paycheck, and the remaining $2,500 as a one-time payment at the end of the 2023 pool season.

To receive the pay, a person must become certified as a lifeguard, work the entire summer through Labor Day weekend and finish in good standing. Also, for the first time, the department is offering a new 'Shallow Water Lifeguard' position. Shallow-water lifeguards will guard four feet of water and under.

“For the second season in a row, the City of Phoenix is making a direct investment into the safety of our residents, especially when it comes to children and water safety," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “Not only do lifeguards watch over our residents while swimming, but they also provide affordable swim lessons throughout the summer."

“To ensure we deliver the best service to our residents, Phoenix we must continue to raise wages and benefits for our essential employees," said District 5 Councilwoman and Community & Cultural Investment Subcommittee Chair Betty Guardado. “Our committee will continue to support the important efforts by our Parks and Recreation Department to address the shortages in our lifeguard and pool staffing levels."

The $3,000 incentive pay reimburses individuals for the cost and time spent obtaining the lifeguard certification.

Read full news story: https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/parks-and-recreation/2588

Start your First Time Lifeguard training or renew your Lifeguarding for two more years today

The American Lifeguard Association® is pleased to announce that we have secured a national grant to lower our training fees. These funds will be made available until they are exhausted. To obtain further information on our programs and to register we ask that you go to www.americanlifeguard.com.

[dangermousie]

As probably one of a small number of people on tumblr who has both watched a ton of dramas and Aziz (which I am currently obsessively binging and loving), I am going to chime in and say my advice is - if there is a particular trope you don’t care for, age gap or something else, don’t try to force yourself to watch stuff with that trope in hopes that this time you will actually like this trope, this time it will work. It probably won’t and there are plenty of other things to watch that won’t set off your nope meter.

About age gap dramas: (1) I would also add Secret Love Affair (she is 20 years older than he is), (2) Marriage Contract (ML significantly older), (3) I Hear Your Voice (FL a decade older) to the above excellent list.

Also a little note: if age gap is characters’ ages not just the actors’ is at issue, then most period cdramas would qualify since even when they are portrayed by 30+ actresses, FLs are supposed to be 15-17 (for example, my favorite Monarch Industry features Zhang Ziyi as FL - in RL she was 40+ and older by a few years than her ML actor but her character was supposed to be a teen marrying a grown man.)

For me, I like age gaps where they are addressed in the story/make sense narratively (like in period dramas - any heroine young enough to be married off for the first time has to be a teen) and/or where they don’t pretend they don’t exist (many examples of ML actor significantly older than debutante FL actress but we are supposed to believe they are both 19.)

To get back to Aziz, the in-story age gap is quite significant and the actors’ RL age gap is 20 years, so if you don’t like age gaps, it’s like jumping off the deep end of the pool instead of starting at the shallow end.

List of dramas where the large age gaps (regardless of gender) didn’t deter the chemistry or ruin the drama for you, including noona romances where the age gap IS the plot

And dramas where they didn’t. I ask because I have been recommended the Turkish drama Aziz and I’m hesitant because the age gap between the two bothers me too much. Of course it is just my opinion and no one else’s and I could be wrong about it but it posed a major hindrance to me

sure! here's some that come to mind--not taking into account actual actor ages because i am too lazy to look them up :'D

Female Lead is the Older One aka Noona Romances

empress ki. QUEEN SHIT. she's older & more experienced in life than her ultimate love interest (#spoilers) and the chemistry is A++++

find yourself was a fun if average drama, but the chemistry between the leads was A+

the glory okay there's not a ton of shippiness yet, but i'm 100% sold on the potential of them in the first half

someday or one day is kind of screwy, since it's about time travelers, so who's the oldest switches around quite a bit. alice ke i think is more than 5 years older than her love interest though

eternal love: ten miles of peach blossoms. the female lead i think is like. 10s of thousands of years older than her final love interest; visually they look around the same age though #immortals

my fated boy bored me and i ended up dropping it, but the chemistry iirc was fine and the show operates on the noona romance trope

--

Male Lead is the Older One

the rise of phoenixes im actually not sure how old the characters are supposed to be, but there's a sizable age gap IRL between them. the chemistry is RIDICULOUS

love between fairy and devil sort of counts? visually, they're around the same age, but the male lead has 1000s of years on the female lead in-story #immortals

because this is my first life has two couples where there's an age gap and they're both pretty great

moon lovers: scarlet heart ryeo is an entertaining rollercoaster mess of a drama, and the leads have great chemistry

my liberation notes this one isn't as straight up romantic as the other dramas listed, but there's about a 10 year gap between the leads and they work really well together

when a man falls in love. this drama is not universally liked (in fact, most people hate it but THEYRE WRONG), but it basically operates on the age gap/power gap trope and is a dysfunctional ride full of morally grey characters. i loved it, but i love mess so take that as you will

--

edit: OOPS, sorry, missed the second part of the ask. dramas where the chemistry/age gap didnt work for me:

romance is a bonus book. i didnt vibe with the main couple and i think the ML had some big maturity problems as of where i left off. also i never mentally got over the fact that she was divorced A FULL ASS YEAR and he didnt know????

cheese in the trap. i liked this drama but the ML just felt way, way older than everyone around him so it’d be a little off when he’d get involved in the petty campus antics

mr sunshine. i didnt feel it between eugene and ae sin. at all. literally any of her other love interests would have been preferred

[mackenzielovee]

ambivalence part fourteen: consume - rafe cameron

a/n: i'm so sad to see this coming to an end and i'm sorry i've kept you waiting so long :( i hope you love this! let me know what you think (p.s send me ideas for blurbs, i wanna keep writing this series!)

Summary: The return of Rafe means addressing concerns, and figuring out what really is behind your insecurities.

Warnings: swearing, kissing, brief? mention of sexual acts

Word Count: 6.6k

series masterlist

my writing

The warm sun heats your skin as you lay out, sighing contently as you adjust your sunglasses. You shift your head and watch Rafe as he stands in the shallow end, shirtless with soaking wet hair, playing basketball in the water with Scott's hoop he used when he was seven.

He'd driven both of you back to your house last night, not even bothering to sneak in anymore for your parents' sake. He hadn't seen you in two weeks, and he didn't care if they knew he spent the night or not. When you two had awakened this morning, Rafe danced around the idea of talking about everything, and so did you, which is how you ended up volunteering a pool day. It's a good enough distraction and keeps both of you occupied.

Rafe shoots and misses, the ball flying off the rim and rolling over into the yard. You bite back a laugh when he groans, then looks over at you, hands on his hips.

"You wouldn't mind getting that for me, would ya?" he questions, shifting in his stance so you get a full view of your shirtless boyfriend. He squints, shutting one eye and scrunching his face up in a way that tugs at your heart.

"You're serious?" you ask, lowering your sunglasses to the tip of your nose.

Rafe sighs, "No, I'll get it."

You laugh at him when he swims to the edge of the pool, then rise from your chair and start toward the ball. You hear him chuckle lowly when he sees you walking over to get it, breath hitching in his chest when you bend over to pick it up.

"Who approved this bathing suit?" he asks playfully.

You turn, meeting his broad, wet chest and shoving the ball against it. He smirks, tucking a finger underneath the tie of your bathing suit bottoms. You giggle, biting your lip to try and contain your wide smile.

"You don't like it?"

"Of course I do. That's the problem. Your brother is right inside," he practically groans, stepping forward and pressing himself against you.

"He's probably playing video games or something," you tease him, arms wrapping around his neck. He reaches up with his other hand and takes the ball between the two of you, throwing it behind him without a care where it goes. Faintly, you both hear it splash in the water.

"You think he's playing Madden?" Rafe tenses, eyes widening as he looks over to the house.

"Rafe," you whine.

"Kidding, baby," he grins, "Come in the pool with me."

"I'm enjoying the sun," you counter.

"Enjoy your boyfriend, instead," he proposes, "Come on. The water feels good."

"No," you whine playfully.

"Okay," he nods, "Scale of one to ten. How mad would you be, if, hypothetically, of course, I pitched you over my shoulder and jumped in?"

"Ten," you say instantly.

"Understood."

You raise an eyebrow at him, as if daring him to do it anyway. He shrugs easily, using the grip he has on your bathing suit bottoms to pull you in even closer.

"You sure that was a hypothetical?" you whisper, signaling for him to give you a kiss.

He leans in, his lips brushing yours, "Yes. This wasn't, though."

You furrow your eyebrows as if to ask what he means, and by the time you process his words, he lifts your hips up and grins when you instinctively wrap your legs around his waist. He smirks when he has to support you by resting his hand on your ass.

"Rafe," you warn when he starts backing up toward the pool.

"What?" he asks innocently.

"Don't you dare-"

Then, you're in the water. Rafe does his best to ensure that your hair doesn't go under, and when he gets a stance in the pool, he reaches up and pushes your sunglasses to the top of your head. He laughs, adjusting his grip on you and setting his hands on the bottoms of your thighs.

"Oops," he grins, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

You fasten your arms around his neck and shake your head at him, pretending to pout.

"I can't believe you just did that," you frown, watching him laugh.

"Come on," he groans, "Just relax. Doesn't the water feel nice?"

He attaches his lips to your jawline, slowly guiding the two of you over to the side of the pool, where he presses you up against it and leans into you, not bothering to take his hands off your legs even though he doesn't need to hold you up anymore.

"No," you huff, trying to suppress a groan, "This does, though."

"Mhm," he hums.

"I missed you so much," you tell him, one of your hands traveling up to his hair.

"God, baby, I missed you, too," he mumbles against your skin, "Y'almost broke my heart while I was away."

"Rafe," you say sadly, frowning when he pulls away from your skin and looks you in the eye.

"I just mean, I got scared. Scared that you were angry with me, scared that you'd find better, scared you'd give up on me-"

"Hey," you frown, rubbing your fingers against his scalp, doing your best to relax him.

"Scared of losing you," he finishes, staring at you like you're the most fragile thing in the world.

"You can't," you say simply.

"Easier said than done, sweetheart. Can't blame me for being afraid of losing the one thing I've wanted my entire life."

You smile sadly, giving him another kiss. He accepts it, running his hands up and down your thighs and pressing himself against you even tighter.

"I love you," you whisper against his lips, "I'm so happy you're home."

"Me, too," he agrees, "I love you so much."

"Can we just stay here forever?" you ask him, looking around the empty backyard, the sun, the cool water, and the beer bottles Rafe had brought out.

He smiles, "I wish. Do you think the real world's still out there?"

"Oh, yeah. It's plotting to ruin some part of this as we speak."

Rafe laughs, pulling himself back a bit to fixate his gaze on you. You peck his lips once, then twice, and give him a genuine smile.

"Was your dad mad?"

The question you'd been afraid to ask him, as you know the relationship between him and his dad hasn't always been the most simple. The last thing you'd want to do is be another reason why Rafe could lose his job. Not after everything.

"No, baby," he whispers.

"Are you lying?"

"No, baby," he repeats, "He actually thinks you're good for me. He understood."

You smile, "Good."

Rafe takes a deep breath, his expression changing. Your face falls, lips parting as you prepare to ask what's wrong.

"I think we should talk," he says, "Clear the air. About everything."

"Okay," you agree, nodding and trying to control your heartbeat.

"I just have a few things I want to say," he continues, stalling, then nodding as he encourages himself to start, "You are unbelievable for sticking by me the way you did with everything I've thrown at you the past few weeks. I know I should've told you about the trip, and I can't help but think the outcome would've been a little different if you'd known about it before you did. And, I also know that I wasn't the best boyfriend ever while I was away. I didn't call enough, I blew you off, and I'm sorry. You deserve better than that, and that's something I believe with all my heart. I'm not John B, okay-"

"Whoa," you stop him, bringing your hand down to stroke the skin on his cheek, "Stop. Never for one second have I compared you to him. Being with you is so different, Rafe, it's..."

You trail off, groaning lightly in frustration for not being able to find the right word. He waits patiently, staring at you, desperate to hear the rest of your thought.

"Different, good?" he clarifies after a moment of silence.

"Different, great," you nod, shooting him a smile, "My turn?"

Rafe nods, and you can't help but swoon at the concerned look on his face.

"I'm sorry that I was needy while you were away. I guess I just, I don't know, you're easy to miss. I've never felt this way about anyone. I think I just got really insecure when you started to pull away, I was afraid, maybe..."

You trail off, looking down in shame instead of at him. He starts to shake his head rapidly, but wants to give you time to finish your thought before he interrupts you. When you don't start again, he speaks up.

"Never," he says quietly, "Never, ever. You're it for me, you know that?"

You nod, finally dragging your eyes back up to him, "I do."

"Good," he says, his voice more serious than he had been this whole conversation, "C'mere."

You lean forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. He reaches a hand off your leg and out of the water, grabbing ahold of your chin and keeping you against him until he's satisfied. When you pull away, he shows you a cheeky smile.

"Love you," you whisper.

"Love you, baby," he replies, "Hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"Got you something."

You gasp, squirming in his arms, "A present?"

"A present," he confirms, "It's not wrapped or anything, so don't expect much."

"Can I have it?" you ask excitedly, watching him laugh.

"After the pool. I'm not done staring at you in this swim suit."

"Can I have a hint what it is?"

"No," he shakes his head.

You pout and squirm from his grip, falling only when he releases you with a sigh. You swim over and grab the basketball floating in the water, setting your sunglasses back over your eyes as you turn around to the hoop.

"If I make this, you have to give me a hint."

Rafe laughs, louder than he probably should have, "Okay, deal."

You take a deep breath and then pitch the ball toward the hoop, groaning when it reaches nowhere near the hoop. Rafe swims over and grabs the ball, then positions himself behind you to help you shoot.

"Okay, sweetheart, like this," he whispers in your ear, pressing a kiss underneath your earlobe as he wraps his hands around yours, which grip the ball.

"This is so cheesy," you mutter, listening to him laugh.

He guides your hands down and then back up, whispering something in your ear about 'follow through' as you release the ball. It doesn't go in, but it at least hits the rim.

"Better," he shrugs, wrapping his arms around your waist after, "D'you remember when we all used to play three on three back here? You always used to throw a fit when Scott would put you on a team with Wheezie and Sarah because we would always beat you-"

"That's because your dad played with you guys!" you protest, spinning around in his arms, "He was, like, so tall!"

"Well, you were ten. And short. Everyone was tall to you," he teases.

"I also didn't want to play," you remind him.

"You were terrible," he agrees, letting out a laugh. You whack him on the chest and sigh, trying not to laugh as well.

"You knew I wouldn't make that shot, huh?"

"Sweetheart," he grumbles, but when you raise a brow, he falters, "Yeah, I knew."

"Unbelievable!" you groan, playfully attempting to squirm from him.

"Stop," he demands, smirking when you can't get away from him because of his tight grip.

You give up, sighing and relinquishing yourself to him, locking your arms around his neck and clinging to him. The smirk on his face widens when you lean in, fully expecting a kiss. When your lips brush his, you pull back only slightly.

"Present time," you whisper, laughing when he swears under his breath.

"C'mon," he mutters, leading you both over to the stairs. He sets you down and lets you walk out ahead of him, fully enjoying his view, "Can you keep the swim suit on, at least?"

You laugh, "Maybe."

Rafe makes you shower, together, of course, then grumbles when you get dressed. He smiles when he sees that your outfit consists of his shirt and a pair of shorts, ones that he loves almost as much as your bathing suit.

"I wonder what it is," you say, grinning mischievously when he picks up his duffle bag to get the present out, "A souvenir from the Bahamas, yes?"

"It's not from the Bahamas," he says, "I was gonna give it to you when I got back. I had to run home last night before I came to the Club to pick it up. I meant to give it to you last night, but we ended up fu-"

"Rafe!" you stop him, cheeks flushing red, "Inappropriate."

He chuckles, flushing red himself as he remembers the previous night. Not having seen you for two weeks really had impacted him.

"Okay," he says, hands still in his duffle bag as they wrap around the object, "Close your eyes."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Rafe," you grumble, but do as he says.

You hold out your hands, smiling when you can hear his feet on the carpet as he rounds your bed and takes a deep breath, placing something in your hands.

"Open," he whispers.

You do, quickly, heart sinking when you see the book. The Velveteen Rabbit. The old cover you had when you were a kid, the one Rafe had ripped and ruined. Your lips part as you gasp, staring at the book with wide eyes. When you look back up at him, he looks nervous. You try to smile at him, but you can feel your emotions start to bubble up and you look like you're about to cry.

"Rafe," you say, voice cracking, "What..."

You trail off, knowing the right words will never come. He smiles a bit and then takes a seat on the bed beside you, placing a hand on your knee.

"Sorry I ruined the last one, sweetheart," he says quietly.

"I just-" you stop, looking down at the book again, "Where did you find this?"

"Oh, y'know..." he waves his hand around, "I found it at a bookstore. Made me think of you."

You stare at him, watching as his eyes avert from you to the book, staring at it with wide eyes. He bites his lip, which makes you smile.

"You're lying," you say, matter-of-fact. His eyes shoot back to yours, and you instantly know you're right.

"Doesn't matter where I got it," he shrugs after a second.

"I just can't believe you did," you swoon, and can't help but open the front cover. You intend to start looking through the book, but the hand writing on the blank front page catches your eye immediately. Rafe's cheeks redden when you see it, observing the messy, attempted neat, boyish hand writing.

Y/N,

Hope this makes up for how much of a dumbass I've been. Not just the past few weeks, but our entire lives. You mean everything to me.

I love you,

Rafe

"Rafe," you say, tears welling in your eyes, "This is perfect. Thank you."

"Mhm," he smiles, "Glad you like it."

You sniffle, nodding your head, "I love it so much. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he smiles, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your forehead.

You start flipping through the book, observing the pages and remembering how it used to be your favorite book. The pages, the pictures, look exactly the way you remember them. Rafe watches you with admiration filled eyes, relieved to have finally given you the present he'd been planning for weeks.

His phone starts buzzing on the nightstand, but you don't think twice about it. You're too engrossed in the book, the perfectly preserved, old copy of this book, to notice Rafe's eyes sink when he sees his father's name on the screen.

"I'm gonna step out, sweetheart," he tells you, pressing his lips to your forehead before he exits the room, only answering the call once your bedroom door is shut again.

He's gone for about twenty minutes, which leaves you enough time to fully admire every page of the book. When he steps back into your room, he takes a deep breath and holds an apologetic look.

"I have to go," he tells you.

"No," you whine, giving him our best pouty look in hope you can convince him to stay with you.

"I'm sorry, baby," he says, stepping over and sitting beside you on the bed, "It's work stuff. Gotta charge my laptop, and the files are at the house, and-"

"Okay," you stop him, encouraging him to take a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," he repeats.

You lean up and press a gentle kiss to his lips, "It's okay. I knew what I was getting myself into."

"Yes, you did," he snickers, "Will you come over later? I should be done around six."

"I'll be there," you inform him, smiling and giving him another kiss.

"Counting down already," he mumbles, then stands after one last kiss, "Bring your swim suit."

"Rafe," you laugh, watching him point a finger at you as if to tell you he's serious.

He steps over to his duffle bag, folding his clothes from last night and setting them in the top. You lay in your bed and watch him, wishing silently that he was unpacking that bag to stay instead of packing it up to leave. You giggle quietly every time his eyes flicker to you; something about you laying in bed staring at him being hard for him to tear his eyes away from.

"Leaving my toothbrush here," he says as he zips his bag, "I'll pick up a new one on my way home."

"Okay," you grin, the thought of seeing Rafe's toothbrush beside yours every morning making your heart swell.

"Okay," he repeats, throwing his duffle over his shoulder and then stepping over for one last kiss.

You give it to him, holding onto his jaw as if to try and keep him close. He holds the kiss extra long, just for you, then pulls away after a minute.

"Thank you for the present," you whisper, stroking his skin.

"You're welcome. I love you. See you later."

"I love you, too," you say, watching him nod contently and step over to the door.

He slips through the door and closes it gently, and you laugh when you hear him run into Scott in the hallway. Scott teases him for a second about sneaking out of your room, and when Rafe denies it, Scott just snorts. They chat for a minute, you listening promptly at the door, then Rafe excuses himself and hurries down the stairs.

"You can stop listening now, Y/N," Scott calls when the front door closes, making your cheeks turn red.

At five-thirty, Rafe texts you and asks if you'd stop and pick up a pizza on the way over. He explains how, with Ward being out of town, Rose decided to do a juice cleanse, and Sarah's out with Scarlett for the night, so it will just be the two of you and Wheezie. You quickly agree, not surprised at all when he texts you back and says he called it in and paid for it, trying to make it as easy on you as possible.

You climb in the car and drive to pick it up, excited to spend the evening with Rafe and Wheezie. You're so wrapped up in thinking of movies to watch and things to chat with Wheezie about that, when you climb out of the car, you don't even see him standing there until he speaks.

"Hey."

Your eyes shoot up, meeting our ex-boyfriend's. You take a step back and swallow, not sure exactly what to say. With the way things had been the last time you saw him, you're not sure where you stand now. Where you want to stand.

"What are you doing here?" you ask him.

He frowns, then gestures to the pizza place, "JJ wanted a pizza."

"You drove all the way to Figure Eight for a pizza?"

"Well," he shrugs, "I was kinda already over here. Gave Sarah her stuff back."

You cross your arms in front of your chest, car keys dangling from your hands. He watches you do this, uneasy about the fact that you're so defensive with him now.

"I'm sure you'll find someone else in no time," you shoot at him, then start walking toward the building.

"I really am sorry for the way things went down, okay?" he calls after you.

You spin around, "Which part, John B? When you broke up with me for my childhood friend? Or when you showed up at my job and made a huge scene in front of Rafe and Topper? How about when you ratted Rafe out at the wedding in front of everyone? Or, my personal favorite, when you pushed my brother into a bar full of glass."

"Y/N," he sighs, "All of it. I'm sorry for all of it. But, the way I see it, you never would've gotten with Rafe if things hadn't gone down like that-"

"Don't you dare take credit for the relationship I'm in now," you step toward him, pointing a demanding finger his way, "You had no right to put your hands on my brother, no right to speak about Rafe, and absolutely no right to turn it all around to try and make yourself look good."

"You're right," he holds his hands up in the air, "You're totally right. I've made a lot of mistakes-"

"That's the understatement of the century," you snap.

"Can you let me finish?"

You look up at him, one raised eyebrow daring him to say that again, "Why? Because you deserve it?"

"No. Fuck, I know I don't deserve it, all right? But, y'know, I've just been thinking a lot and I wanted to get it all off my chest. You deserve to be happy, Y/N. Even if it is with Rafe Cameron."

"You don't know the first thing about Rafe," you say, clenching your jaw to hold yourself back from saying anything else.

"I know he risked his job to come back for you. I know that nobody is sure how your relationship is gonna work if you can't be apart for four weeks."

You shake your head and exhale loudly, not letting his words bother you. John B and Sarah being broken up means John B no longer has any sort of insight into the Cameron family, and he can't threaten you with his words anymore. If Rafe says everything is fine, you'd believe him until you have a reason not to.

"Again, you know nothing about it. Our relationship is nobody's business except for mine and Rafe's. Goodbye, John B."

You push past him and attempt to walk away, walking fast and staring at the door with wishes to just be inside.

"Y/N, wait," he says, grabbing ahold of your elbow.

You pull away immediately, spinning around and leveling him with a glare, "Don't fucking touch me, John B, or I swear-"

"I'm sorry," he says quickly, holding both of his hands up, "Look, I'm sorry. I've made a mess of this. I shouldn't have said that."

"There's a lot of things you shouldn't have said. Just go back to the Cut. There's nothing over here for you, anymore."

You turn from him, drawing your elbows closer to your sides and shoving your hands in the pockets of your jacket. He doesn't call after you this time, doesn't make any attempt to reach for you. He lets you go, which is exactly what you want him to do.

Quickly, you pick up the pizza, breathing out a sigh of relief when John B's not standing in the parking lot near your car. Even though you try not to, you replay the entire interaction in your head on a loop as you drive.

You'd told yourself his words held no stock, that it didn't matter what John B thought. But, you couldn't help the sinking feeling in your gut at his words. Had you been holding on to Rafe too tightly? Had the insecurity of John B leaving you for someone better come out in your new relationship, in places you never expected?

You put the car in park once you reach the driveway, taking a deep breath and shutting it off. You need a moment before you go inside. The selfishness and the guilt swirl in your stomach, making you nauseous. The smell of the pizza doesn't help.

You see the front door open out of the corner of your eye and Rafe steps out, walking up to the passenger door and pulling it open without hesitation.

"Hey, baby," he greets, wide smile plastered across his face, "Thanks for picking it up."

"You're welcome," you force a smile, undoing your seat belt.

Rafe grabs the pizza from the passenger seat and then rushes over to the driver's side, opening your door and leaning down to give you a kiss once you're out.

"Do anything after I left?" he asks, guiding you up toward the house.

"No," you reply.

He looks down at you, eyebrows furrowed and sporting a puzzled expression. You don't look up at him, fear that he'll notice or, God forbid, call you on your tell, overwhelming you. He doesn't speak again, just opens the front door for you and leads you to the kitchen.

"Y/N!" Wheezie cheers when you both enter the kitchen.

"Hey, Wheeze," you smile.

"Nice to have dinner at our house for a change, huh?" she teases you, watching you do your best to laugh genuinely. You feel like a rock is resting at the bottom of your stomach.

"Most definitely."

"Wheeze, get me some plates, okay? And drinks from the fridge," Rafe says, opening up the pizza box.

"I'll get the drinks," you say quietly, stepping over to their fridge.

You're not at all surprised when you feel Rafe's hand snake around your hips, pressing your back to his front as you browse the fridge for soda cans.

"You okay?"

"Yes," you say evenly, passing him a soda and then grabbing two more.

He turns you around, shutting the fridge behind you and staring at your eyes, taking in every single facial feature you possess.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" he repeats.

Wheezie sets the plates down on the island, and you know you can't talk to him about this now. You take a deep breath, then do your best to give him a smile.

"I'm good, Rafe."

"You're lying," he teases, pulling you closer.

"Talk about it later," you say, making him tense.

You pull his hands off your waist and step to Wheezie, handing her a soda. She thanks you, popping it open and taking a sip.

"So, Y/N, I have to tell you about this guy in my math class."

You raise your eyebrows at her, tearing off a slice of pizza and putting it on a plate for her.

"Please do," you press, "A guy guy?"

"Well, I don't know, yet. He's really nice and, like the other day, we were passing notes. He sits beside me, so it's easy, you know? And the note said-"

"Wheezie," Rafe stops her, picking up the plate full of pizza and handing it to her, "Go find a movie to put on, all right? We'll be in in a minute."

"Rafe," Wheezie groans, but does what he says when he narrows his eyes at her.

You glance at Wheezie and give her a look, as if to say, 'we'll finish this later'. She nods and then rises from her barstool, soda in one hand and plate in the other.

"And, no dating!" he calls after her, "You're too young. Guys your age aren't nice."

"Stop," you swat his chest.

He sets his hands on your hips again, pulling you close to him. You accept his movement, running your hands up and down his arms.

"Talk to me," he insists.

"Rafe, it's dumb."

"Not dumb," he shakes his head, "Not if it's upsetting you."

"No, I-" you stop, shaking your head before you regroup and continue, "I ran into John B when I was picking up the pizza."

"What? What did he say to you?"

"He was trying to apologize in his own twisted way, I think," you frown, "But, I don't know. He said some shit about people thinking we'll never make it if we can't be apart for four weeks-"

"Who said that?" he clenches his jaw, fingers tightening their grip around your waist.

"I don't know," you shrug, "Probably no one. I think he was just making up shit to get under my skin. It worked."

Rafe frowns, then leans down and presses a comforting kiss to the top of your head.

"What else did he say?"

"You risked your job to come home for me."

"What the fuck," Rafe mutters under his breath, pulling back and tipping your chin up so he could look at you, "That's not at all what happened. That stupid motherfucker doesn't know anything-"

"Okay," you stop him, "I already know that. I trust you when you say everything's okay."

"Everything is okay," he nods, "Baby, me coming home had nothing to do with me thinking we couldn't handle four weeks apart. But, it's a new relationship and I hadn't told you I was leaving until a few days before, and a lot of things went into that decision."

"I know that, Rafe," you nod, "I just... I don't know. I feel like, maybe, I was selfish and didn't really help the situation. I'm sorry about that-"

"I'm not," he says instantly, "I mean, shit, do you know how good it felt to get a call from your brother, telling me you missed me so much? After I've spent most of my life trying to get you to acknowledge my presence at all, the fact that you felt lost without it kinda stroked my ego a little bit."

"Shut up," you laugh, making him laugh, too.

"Kidding," he smiles, even though you both know he's not, "No, seriously. You were not selfish at all. I would've come home early regardless, I think. Once I found out you couldn't visit, I started to arrange a fight home just for the weekend. Then, Scott called, and Sarah talked to my dad, and everything worked out. John B doesn't know shit, baby. Trust me on that."

"I trust you," you whisper, "But, I'm still sorry."

"Shouldn't be," he shakes his head, giving you a quick kiss.

"You're everything to me, you know," you say, quoting what he wrote in the front of your book. The comment makes his cheeks go pink.

"That's a cheesy line," he remarks.

"Yeah, some guy who's had a crush on me forever said that. Might blow him off. Let him try again in thirteen years."

"Excuse me?" he teases, pinching your sides.

You squeal and try to squirm from his grip, but he's too strong for you. He continues tickling and pinching, making you laugh.

"Say that again, sweetheart," he jokes.

"Stop," you say through your laughter, still squirming, "I'm sorry."

Rafe halts his motions, burying his face into your neck instead and pressing a gentle kiss to your skin.

"Better be."

You let him get his kisses in, gasping only when he starts sucking on your skin, biting gently. You want to remind him his sister is in the other room, it just feels too good. He eventually trails up your neck and to your jawline, kisses peppering every inch of skin.

"Rafe," you say, grinning when he doesn't even falter in his motions.

"Mhm?" he hums.

"How d'you know when I'm lying?"

He smirks against you skin, pulling back after a minute and tucking a piece of hair behind your ear, staring at you.

"Baby," he whispers.

"Tell me," you whine, watching him shake his head at your antics.

"Will that make you feel better?"

"Yes," you nod, "Please."

"Fine," he sighs, pulling his hand off your waist. The movement makes you frown at first, until he lightly presses his fingertip to your forehead, to the spot right between your eyebrows, just above your nose, "You always scrunch your eyebrows when you're lying. You get this little crease right here. First time I noticed it, you were, shit, ten, I think? You broke your mom's favorite mug, and you lied about it. I had to test it out a few times after that, and then I figured it out."

You bite your bottom lip to hide the smile forming on your lips, pulling his hand from your face and into yours.

"Test it out?" you clarify, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm. It's not like you were a big liar, so it took a long time for me to be sure."

"So, you were just being all creepy, staring at me all the time? Monitoring my every move?" you tease him.

"Come on, now," he laughs, "Y'know I was crazy about you. Course I paid attention."

"All while I was being the biggest bitch to walk the face of the earth," you sigh, cursing yourself for your past behavior.

"Not a bitch. Stop," he shakes his head, "Just a little blind."

He smiles at his last comment, which makes you smile, too. You lean forward, signaling for a kiss, which he gives you.

"Pizza's getting cold," you whisper against his lips, watching him smile.

"Don't care."

He presses his lips to yours once more, breaking away only when his thirteen year-old sister's voice rings through the air.

"Are you guys coming in, or what?"

Rafe groans quietly, dropping his head to your chest in frustration. You smile, bringing a hand up to stroke through his hair.

"Be right there, Wheeze," you call.

"Hurry up," she presses, "I put on Fast and Furious."

"I hate that movie," Rafe grumbles into your chest.

"No, you don't."

"I do right now," he grunts, "Rather just go upstairs with you."

"Come on," you sigh, pulling his head up so he looks at you, "She wants to hang out with us."

"Y/N-"

"Be nice to your sister," you say to him, turning back to the pizza box and plates.

"Fine."

You laugh and shake your head at him, then place pizza on the plates for both of you and lead Rafe into the living room.

After you all eat, Rafe lays himself down beside you, cuddling his head into your chest and ignoring Wheezie's comment about him looking like a four year-old. You just laugh, running your hands through his hair in the way you know he loves. His grip tightens around you when the movie ends, and he presses a kiss to your cheek.

"Can we go in my room, now?"

You laugh and nod, letting him pull you up from the couch. Rafe picks up the plates and carries them to the kitchen while you step over to Wheezie, sitting down beside her.

"So," you start, "A boy."

"Don't tell Rafe," she insists, watching you nod, "He's nice. And, he asked if I wanted to go to the movies next weekend."

"What did you say?"

"I said, I will think about it," she says firmly, "I just don't want parents to drive us, you know? It would be awkward. I can't ask Rafe, because he'll just interrogate us, and Sarah's mean sometimes-"

"I can do it," you volunteer.

Wheezie's eyes go wide, staring at you like you just solved every problem in her life.

"Really?"

"'Course, Wheeze. Won't even tell your brother."

"Won't even tell her brother what?" Rafe leans against the doorway, eyebrow raised.

Wheezie tenses, but you set a hand on her knee to calm her.

"What she's getting you for your birthday," you say without missing a beat, doing your best to relax your eyebrows.

Rafe smirks, biting the inside of his cheek as he considers what to say.

"My birthday's two months away."

"Takes a lot of planning," Wheezie speaks up.

"Mhm," Rafe hums, clearly not believing you, "Whatever you two are plotting, I'm not sure I wanna know about it. C'mon, pretty girl, let's go upstairs."

You shoot Wheezie a wink, then stand and walk to Rafe, taking his hand when he holds it out for you. He leads you up the stairs, and when you reach the top, Rose calls out from her office.

"Rafe? Is that you?"

"Yeah," he calls back.

"Oh, good. Your frames came in. I set them on your bed. The prints are in the envelope. Show me when you get them all set!"

Rafe's cheeks burn as you look up at him, trying to decipher what she's talking about.

"Okay," he calls back sheepishly, then drags you to his room.

Once you two are inside, he hurries to his bed and looks at the frames. You stand beside him, noting silently how they perfectly match the ones already up on his wall.

"What are these for?" you ask him.

He sits down on the bed and picks up the yellow envelope, then moves his glance up to you.

"I, um, asked Rose to get me copies of the pictures she took. Figured, maybe, I could replace that picture of us on my wall."

He points over to the old cruise photo of the two of you hanging up, then opens up the envelope and pulls out the copies. He flips through them quickly, finding the one he wants and then reaching for a frame. You don't push to see it until he's done, then turns it around to show you.

"Rafe," you smile.

You hadn't seen the wedding photos until now. Rose had promised to send them, but had been too busy with Rafe's demands to do so. The picture he picked out is perfect, it's everything. You're smiling at Rose, and had been assuming Rafe was doing the same. Instead, he was looking down at you, expression on his face making you melt.

"My favorite one," he mumbles, "You look so happy."

"I am," you nod, watching his eyes melt as he stares up at you.

He stands, pressing a kiss to your cheek as he passes. He steps to his wall and removes the old picture, hanging the new frame in its place.

"You can throw that one away," you tease, pointing to the old photo.

"No way!" he protests, holding it in his hands and staring down at it with somber eyes, "Wish I could tell this little punk he'll get the girl eventually. He just has to grow two feet and get his ass to the gym."

You laugh, stepping over to him. He turns and sets the picture down on his desk, where he can still look at it every day. When he turns back to you, he instinctively pulls you into him.

"I love you," you whisper.

"I love you, too."

He leans down and kisses you, kisses away all your doubts that John B had planted in your stomach. This boy, this man, standing in front of you, who'd been begging you to love him all his life, making you feel ways you'd never felt before.

You'd never been sure of anything in your life. Not of your Midsummers dresses, not what you wanted for dinner, not if you were ever really worthy of a good type of love after John B left you. Now, with him, you're sure of one thing and one thing only. You need Rafe Cameron the same way you need air to breathe and water to survive. And you're sure, out of everyone, that it's him, forever.

Tags: @hollandsour @flowerkidlxrry @kookkyra @pogueslandia @sarahwasfound @fuzzyhumanpersontrash @rafecameronn @rafeswh0ree @outerbankies @morganwilliams @lilgoddesshines @proactivetypeofperson @abrunettefangirlnerd @the-chaotic-cow @absolute-fcking-chaos @dontstopxx @kaatelyyynn @hayley1623 @riseabovetheexpectations @divanca2006 @jordynsharum @dudinhahoff @anonymousobxfan @blue-4-55-readinglist @premixed-margarita @444f4iry @alularae3 @toolateformcrtooearlytoleaveemo @hopebaker @welcometomyworldwithoutrules @sk8rcal @ims0golden @princesspogue @gasolinesavages @outlaw-abby @samcaniglia @marveloussensations @igotmajordaddyissues @babeyglo @dr3aming0utl0udx @beskar-boba @billowingbanshee @thisisthewayrose @iammirrorball @layazul @cremextart @thesimpletype @fashphotolife @notdisneychannel @gillybear17

[bits-and-babs]

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 — 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍’𝐒 𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐄

-> OCT. 12 : KNIFE PLAY

WARNINGS: 18+ MDNI. Canon setting, horror elements, blood, threatening-esque behaviour but consensual knife play, P in V sex.

WC: 1023

[Kinktober Masterlist] [Main Masterlist]

“Kane?” You whisper softly, approaching your team-mate and colleague from behind. You had woken to find that he had returned from his expedition into the woods of the shimmer last night, now sitting facing the wall as the dawn’s sunlight creeped through the house window. You’d set up camp here during the night, in need of some cover.

Kane doesn’t immediately respond, his eyes set on the wall opposite him. He’s perfectly still, cross-legged on the wood-rot floor and back still turned to you. He doesn’t even acknowledge your address, breathing even.

“Kane,” you repeat, moving to step to the side of his still body. At this angle, you can see his face. He’s staring blankly ahead of him, hands holding a knife in his lap. It’s a hunting knife- military issued. Area-X had offered it as a part of your weapon kits before entering the shimmer.

The point of the blade settles against the tip of his finger, blood pooling around the sharp edge and he twists the handle of the knife slowly, repeatedly. The sharp prick of the tip doesn’t seem to bother him, apparently absorbed in thought.

“I think I’m goin’ crazy,” he murmurs, voice so quiet you almost miss it. His eyes turn up to look at you now, through his thick eyelashes.

“What?” You question.

“… I swear I can hear your thoughts, Angel,” he mumbles, letting out a shaky breath. “I can hear everything you think, like we share a brain. How you crave food in the morning, that your wrists ache from carrying the machine guns…”

You let out a nervous laugh, shaking your head now. “Yeah, but I’m sure you were thinking the same thing, Kane-“

“I can hear… Your thoughts at night. You want me to kiss you,” he points out, so methodically and relaxed that it sends a chill down your spine. “You want me to hold a blade to your throat and fuck you, don’t you?”

For once in your life, around your best friend and colleague, you’re utterly speechless. How could he possibly know that? You’d never shared your kinks with anyone, never told even one person that you had lusted for Kane ever since joining his team!

“I-“ You stumble over your words as Kane slowly raises himself from the floor, knife handle gripped hard as he stands. You swallow weakly, watching him carefully approach you, his breathing shallow.

“Fuck, I just wish you’d told me,” he moans out now, crowding you towards the wall. You’re almost certain you can feel his body heat radiating off him. It’s when your back hits the peeling wallpaper that he finally touches you, free hand settling on your hip.

He uses the leverage to spin your body, chest and cheekbone pressed to the wall. You whimper softly, arousal pooling in your stomach as his army patent boot kicks your ankles apart, chest pressed to your back as he mouths the base of your neck with heavy kisses.

You don’t even get a word out before he presses the blade edge against the vulnerable skin of your throat, pinning the back of your head against his shoulder while pushing his heavy erection into the curve of your ass. Whimpering, you keep your breath steady as he traces the tip of the knife delicately over your throat.

“Undo your belt,” Kane orders with a whisper, the tone causing goosebumps to rise up on your skin and your hair to stand on end. You don’t keep him waiting, trembling hands reaching down to undo your belt buckle. It clinks in the quiet as you struggle to free the prong, Kane’s lips pressing delicate kisses to the curve of your neck.

Finally, you free your belt, moving quickly to undo your pants buttons. You hear Kane moan, turned on by how pliant and willing you are. Maybe it’s the adrenaline, the movement of his hips grinding up on your ass that knocks his usually Sharp-Shooter steady hand, but the blade knicks the skin just beneath your jaw.

“Ah- Fuck,” you moan out, fumbling to hold onto the wall as the sharp sting spreads across your neck, blood seeping down your throat.

“Oh shit- I’m sorry,” Kane breathes heavily, but you shake your head quickly, refusing to allow him to sink back into his kind, caring nature.

“N-No, please, again,” you moan out, pulling both your pants and underwear down at the same time and sending Kane spiralling.

“Yes, Angel, that’s it,” he growls, pressing the tip of the knife harder against the delicate skin below your collarbone so it draws blood, his other hand quick to undo his own belt. Whimpering loudly, you barely catch the sound of him undoing his zip, body jolting as he presses his hard cock against the curve of your ass.

Kane seems to note the way you lean into the edge of the blade, craving more of the sharp, splitting feeling of the knife slitting your skin.

“Want me to carve my name into your stomach?” He whispers, feeling your body tremble beneath his touch as he splays his palm across your abdomen. You nod quickly, mindlessly agreeing to anything he could possibly ask you.

“Mhmm… Yeah? Want me to claim you as mine? So whenever anyone takes your shirt off they know that you truly belong to me?“ he whispers against your throat, tongue slowly trailing up the bleeding skin and no doubt collecting the blood that seeped from the wounds he inflicted on his tongue.

“Yes,” you moan out, pushing your hips against his as the cold blade pushes up against the base of your knock. You can feel his hard cock push up against the curve of your ass again, twitching with need. You were willing to sacrifice your life at his hand, his blade just to feel him finally fuck you.

“Shit,” he groans, unable to take the anticipation any longer and slipping into your soaked pussy from behind, the two of you gasping at the intrusion. The knife balances shakily at your artery, threatening to slice through as Kane pounds into you at an earth-shattering pace.

END

@in-for-a-pennyx @hoeneey @howaboutcastiel @markywithissues @welcometostayingawake @inklore @foxilayde @syrma-sensei @ethanhoewke

[hurting-fictional-people]

Whumptober - day 30: major character death

(CW: death, blood loss, this one is just... pretty Sad, so be warned y'all)

“Villain,” Hero gasps through the phone. “I need your help.”

Villain frowns, rubbing their eyes and looking out the window. It’s not even dawn yet. And Hero’s never used the number they’d given them on a whim before.

Villain sits up in their bed, something cold pooling in the pit of their stomach. “What’s wrong?”

“I, I made a mistake. I thought I could do this on my own but there are so many…” Hero pauses as muffled noises fill the line. When they speak again, louder over screams and threats, Villain can almost see the fear lacing the words. “There are too many enemies, Villain. Can you... I need your help, can you please… I just, can’t– I, I can’t–”

“Where are you?” Villain cuts in, already slipping out of bed and into their suit. “Give me the address and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Hero says it, and without another word, Villain hangs up and rushes out of their house and into their car.

They’ve never heard Hero like that before. Vulnerable. Scared.

Not when they’d been a second away from losing the city to Villain, not when they’d been hurt, not when everything seemed impossible. Villain can’t stop playing it over and over in their head.

If anyone’s touched their Hero–

Villain steps on the gas pedal and races faster through the streets, dodging cars and pedestrians as they cross red light after red light.

They don’t take long to get there. Not even half an hour to a place they would usually take an entire one.

But in the end, it doesn’t matter.

Because when Villain gets there, barely parking before jerking the door open and sprinting out, there are no more fighting sounds. No roaring enemies. There’s only silence, deafening in its stillness.

Villain’s rushed footsteps stop as they spin in the middle of what used to be a warehouse, looking around the rubble as their heart fills the soundless void, hammering so loud against their chest that they barely hear it at first.

The sound of too fast, too shallow breathing. The almost silent whimpers that accompany it.

And then they see it – blood on the floor, nearly black under the fading stars, marking a trail to where Hero’s body lies limp behind a fallen pillar.

“No,” they whisper, frozen in horror at the sight of Hero’s blood-soaked uniform, their chest rising and falling in painfully erratic movements. “No.”

Hero moans, and Villain snaps out of their shocked daze, rushing to kneel by their side.

“Wake up,” they say through gritted teeth, cupping Hero’s cheeks and turning their pale face upwards. “Hero, wake up. I’m here, I came, now wake up.”

There’s too much blood. Everywhere. On Hero’s ragged uniform, feeding a crimson puddle under Villain’s knees, staining their hands.

“Hero, open your eyes!” Villain yells, voice cracking when despair filters in. “Look at me. Come on, I came as fast as I could, you cannot do this–”

“I knew it,” Hero coughs, voice small and hoarse. Their eyes flutter open a moment later. Villain nearly starts crying when their nemesis smirks at them. “Knew you’d come. When I called. I knew it.”

“Of course I’d come,” Villain huffs. As gently as they can, Villain lifts Hero’s head and places it on their lap before pulling out their phone and dialing the ambulance number, barely acknowledging how much their hands shake as they do.

“I thought I…” Hero mutters, throat bobbing when they swallow a moan, half-lidded eyes fighting to remain open. “Thought I could do it. Thought I could... win. I, I tried. Really… really did. B-but there were… so many of them.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay, I know you did. But now you have to try again, alright? You have to try and stay awake for me.”

Villain calls for help, all the while staring at Hero’s glazed eyes, their parted lips and colorless cheeks haunting in the dim light of the moon. Hero simply blinks at them, slowly, watching their lips move as Villain talks on the phone.

“Help is on the way,” they say as soon as they hang up, running trembling fingers through Hero’s blood-matted hair. “You just have to stay with me a little longer, okay?”

Hero nods, the movement reluctant and frail, but there. Villain tries to tell themself it’s a good sign, even when a moment later Hero whimpers and winces, their fingers curling over the gaping wound crossing their stomach.

Villain places theirs on top of Hero’s, and presses down. Hard. Hero wails.

“Sorry,” Villain whispers.

Hero leans their head back on Villain’s lap, neck bared as they stare up at their nemesis.

“Y-you’re scared,” they breathe.

“No, I’m not,” Villain replies with a frown, keeping their eyes firmly focused on the ever-growing puddle of blood around them both.

“It’s okay,” Hero says, free hand feebly finding its way to rest on top of Villain’s, their touch so terribly cold. “Don’t be scared.”

“Hero–”

“I’m not.”

A sob tears through Villain’s throat at that, both disbelieving and terrified.

“Stop that,” they croak, turning their teary eyes to Hero’s calm ones. They look almost peaceful, looking at Villain like that. “I know what you’re doing but help is on the way. You just have to hold on for a little longer. So stop trying to say goodbye.”

“’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to–”

“You came," they whisper breathlessly, voice wavering and cracking as they go on. "I, I called and you… came. Did w-what I asked, b-but I… can’t do w-what you're asking. I’m… sorry”

For a moment, Villain can only stare at Hero, tasting salt through parted lips as tears they hadn’t even realized were falling drip down their cheeks.

“Hero don’t you dare give up,” they snarl.

“I’m just so… tired.” Hero says as their eyes close, and for an instant Villain looks down at their chest, scared of what they’ll see when they do. But Hero’s chest rises, slowly, painfully, but rises, and then falls. Their eyes open back up a moment later. “Just wanna sleep.”

“No, Hero do not dare to close your eyes again.”

But they do.

Villain shakes them as gently as they can, and Hero dazedly blinks at them yet again.

“Keep your eyes on me,” Villain commands, pressing harder on their wound until a small sob slips out of Hero's lips. “Just a little longer, Hero. Please, just stay with me a little longer.”

“Sorry, Villain,” Hero murmurs, a too shallow breath making them whimper, mouth opening just long enough for Villain to see red shining around their teeth. “Can’t.”

“No, Hero, look at me!”

Instead, Hero’s eyes fall shut. Villain shakes them again, looking up when the distant sound of ambulance sirens reaches their ears.

“They’re here! Hero, help is here, just open your eyes one more time for me, alright? Just, just one more time, help is here.”

But when Villain looks back at Hero, expecting a hazy gaze and painful too-shallow breaths, all they find are closed eyelids and an unmoving chest.

“NO!” Villain screams, hugging Hero against their chest, hands slippery with blood as they clutch their enemy’s uniform and shake them as hard as they can. “Wake up! Hero, wake up, look at me! Come on Hero, don't die on me, please!”

Hero’s head lolls against their shoulder, almost as an answer, limp as Villain shakes them again and again.

Villain doesn’t let go. Not when Hero's skin starts cooling down in their embrace, not when the ambulance sirens become colorful lights, not when their throat feels raw as they scream into their nemesis’s bloodied hair.

But no matter how much they wish and scream and cry, Hero’s chest doesn’t rise again, and their eyes remain closed.

-

tagging @ladygwennn @burtlederp @despairdragon

[megthemaggot]

from this wired article:

The end of Netflix’s DVD rental service doesn’t just cut off people who’ve not made the switch to streaming, it also cuts all of us off from tens of thousands of films. Netflix reportedly had around 100,000 titles for rent on DVD, adding new titles monthly (11 new titles were added in April 2023 alone). That’s far more than the 6,200 or so titles currently available on the US version of Netflix, according to one estimate. As well as being a shallower pool of content, it also draws from a narrower range. Want to watch a movie from the 1940s, the decade that gave the world classics like Citizen Kane, The Third Man, and It’s a Wonderful Life? You’re out of luck on Netflix’s streaming service: Zero movies from the decade are available at present. The only recognizable movie out of the four from the 1950s available to stream right now is White Christmas. A movie fan sitting down twice a week in front of Netflix would even exhaust the platform’s collection of 1990s movies within a year.

this especially affects folks in more rural areas who have poor internet connections that are unable to stream.

anyone who uses the dvd service is going to face fewer titles, fewer features, and the uncertainty that a title will still be available in a week, if they choose to switch to the streaming platform.

the owner of redbox has expressed interest in buying the service from netflix multiple times to no avail. it hasnt been announced what will happen to all the discs. if the reason they are shutting it down is costs, i don't know why they aren't simply raising prices.

i'm a rural mail carrier and i can say that at least 30% of addresses on my route have received at least one rental over the past year. it's not dead. i hate this.

hey this is the worst

[crossbowking]

Honey & Whiskey

Summary: (Set throughout series) When the world ended, everything good died along with it. At least, that's what Daryl Dixon thought. But then he met a stranger in the woods and his entire world turned upside down.

A/N: HOLY MOLY. I can't believe it's here! I've been working on this story since October and I'm so excited for y'all to finally read it. This story is absolutely my favorite of all time and it's 20,835 words of pure Daryl POV (which is just *chef kiss*) — that being said, it’s also a slow burn...and I mean an entirely self-indulgent SLOWWWW burn. So strap in, y’all.

PSA: There are mentions of 'Dog' in this story that are sort of non-canon, especially now that we've seen a backstory as to how Daryl actually found him in the show...so for the sake of the story, let's just pretend 10.18 doesn't exist :)

Anywho, please be sure to share your thoughts with me afterward!

Happy reading!

xx Jess

Masterlist

Tip Jar

The sun dipped below the horizon, the sky alight with brilliant orange and yellow rays.

Daryl tilted his head back, glancing up at the shifting colors as night drew near. The air was crisp, a welcomed change from the usual summer heat. The streets of Alexandria were fairly empty, most already settling into their respective homes before nightfall. Though the unusual silence was near deafening, the archer paid it no mind.

He appreciated the quiet these days.

The grass poked and prodded beneath where he sat, but he simply shifted, drawing one knee to his chest, the other leg splayed out in front of him. He picked absently at one of the holes in his worn jeans, tugging at the string hanging off the fabric.

And then he thought of her.

Leaves and twigs crunched beneath Daryl’s boots as he traversed through the otherwise silent woods.

The farm was destroyed, winter was approaching, and there seemed to be an ever-looming pang of hunger in the pit of his stomach. He pushed away any inkling of weakness, forging ahead with determined strides. His people were waiting for him, hunkering down in an abandoned diner less than a mile East, hoping he’d bring back something to dull the growing ache inside all of them.

Daryl’s steps faltered — ‘his’ people.

The thought had come so naturally it nearly took him off guard. The feeling of community, of belonging, was something he’d never felt in his entire life. It was a strange notion, but that drive, that need he felt to provide, pushed him further out into the forest.

The archer kept his footsteps light, practically imperceptible, listening for noises only a seasoned hunter could distinguish. When a twig suddenly snapped off to his left, he froze, scanning the stillness around him. He raised his crossbow, the weight familiar in his grasp as he took a small step in the direction the noise had come from.

A moment later, Daryl spotted it — a lone raccoon just a few yards ahead.

The archer felt a rush of adrenaline, a tingling sensation in his fingertips as they hovered over the trigger. He exhaled a soft breath, focusing all his attention on the animal. But with his concentration elsewhere, it wasn’t until after he’d pulled the trigger that he’d realized he was no longer alone in the woods.

Daryl spun around, coming face to face with an incredibly grotesque-looking walker, teeth bared, arms outstretched, launching itself towards him. The archer braced his arm against the biter’s throat just in time, grunting under its weight as he stumbled backward.

“Shit,” he snarled through gritted teeth, tossing his unloaded weapon aside as he fought against the attack. Using his free hand, he reached for the hunting knife secured on his belt, grabbing onto the hilt.

But before he could yank it out, the world began tilting rapidly around him.

Daryl’s back slammed against the harsh wooded ground, his foot tangled up in an exposed root. He spat another vicious curse as the walker thrashed on top of him, snapping its mangled jaw closer and closer, growling in starved desperation.

Then suddenly, it stilled.

The archer froze, his gaze locked on the unexpected sight of one of his arrows now embedded through the biter’s temple. He snapped out of his reverie, shoving the dead off his chest and scrambling back to his feet.

And then he saw her.

She stood just a few feet away, her rapid breathing mirroring his own, looking as though she was seconds away from passing out. Her hair was matted by a mixture of blood and dirt, her clothes were torn and ratted, her wide eyes seemingly too big for her gaunt features. She had a nasty cut across her temple, blood dripping down the side of her face, past her neck, pooling at the collar of her shirt.

Daryl’s eyes bounced back up to meet hers — his guarded and calloused, hers unsure and fatigued.

“I’m assuming — this — is yours?” she spoke between heaving breaths, tossing something in his direction, the motion causing her to sway unsteadily.

Daryl glanced down, spotting the raccoon he’d shot earlier now lying at his feet — but the arrow he’d used to kill it was no longer there.

Now, it was lodged through the skull of the walker that’d attacked him.

The archer focused back on the stranger — but before he could respond, her skin was suddenly paling, her body crumpling to the ground like a paper doll.

Daryl stared down at her unmoving form in bewilderment. He could tell by the shallow rise and fall of her chest that she was at least breathing. The cut on her temple was still bleeding, the wound looking fairly recent — his best guess was a concussion or exhaustion. Most likely both.

He took a small step forward, almost hesitantly. But when his approach didn’t stir the stranger, he found himself facing an unforeseen decision.

He could leave her — he should leave her. She wasn’t his responsibility. She was a complete stranger. She chose to intervene, not him. She made that choice. Not him. Her.

Though as he turned to leave, as he scooped up the limp raccoon and shoved it into his bag, as he grabbed his strewn crossbow and strapped it across his back, one thing became startlingly clear.

He couldn’t do it — he couldn’t just walk away.

Daryl huffed a defeated breath. “Shit.”

He could’ve sworn that day in the woods was an entire lifetime ago.

Rick had nearly lost his damn mind when he’d returned to the diner with not only a small woodland creature in his pack, but a stranger slung over his shoulder.

“Is she dead?” Carl pressed nosily, hovering by the booth where the stranger was now laid out, still unconscious.

Lori quickly intervened, moving forward with one hand on her protruding belly, the other grabbing onto Carl’s shoulder. “Step back, baby. Give Hershel some space to work, okay?” she cautioned, pulling the inquisitive boy away.

“Oh, it’s quite alright — I’m just about done here anyways,” Hershel drawled, setting aside the blood-soaked cloth he’d been using to tend to the stranger’s head wound.

Daryl watched the exchange from across the room, arms folded tight against his chest, ignoring the stares coming from other group members.

The front door of the diner suddenly swung open as Rick marched through. He shot the archer a disapproving look before addressing the others. “I think we’re okay,” he finally spoke, re-holstering his pistol. “If Daryl had been followed here, I’m sure we would’ve known by now. We’ll keep somebody on watch — jus’ as a precaution — an’ get back on the road first thing.”

The archer gnawed on the inside of his cheek as the rest of the group began whispering amongst themselves, clearly distressed about the possible danger his decision may have put them in.

Rick approached a moment later, his steadfast strides immediately setting Daryl on edge. “Can I speak with you?” the sheriff hissed, glancing over his shoulder and locking eyes with Lori’s worried gaze. “In private?” he added in a hushed tone before turning around and storming back outside.

Daryl scoffed under his breath, pushing away from the counter he’d been leaning against and stalking after Rick.

The archer yanked the door open, the cool air biting at his skin as he followed suit. He spotted Rick pacing back and forth across the parking lot, surveying the surrounding woods warily before spinning around and facing him head-on.

“What the hell were you thinkin’?” Rick demanded, taking a step forward.

Daryl fought back the instinctual urge to be on the attack. Instead, he took a breath. “What was I supposed ta’ do, man? Jus’ leave her out there?” he countered, eyes narrowing.

“You don’t bring her here,” the sheriff snapped before pinching the bridge of his nose, attempting to collect himself. “We — we have ta’ look after our own, Daryl — you know that. We have no idea who she is, where she came from, who she’s with,” he specified sharply before shaking his head. “That’s jus' not a risk I’m willin’ ta’ take. Are you?”

Daryl held Rick’s gaze for a long moment before looking away, glancing towards the tree line. The sheriff had a point, he couldn’t deny that. But there was something inside him, a nagging sensation in the pit of his stomach that said otherwise.

Rick slowly nodded, interpreting Daryl’s silence as an answer. “When she wakes, she’s gone,” he finally resolved, stepping past the archer and back towards the diner without another word.

But Daryl couldn’t let it go. “Hey,” he called after Rick, the sheriff’s strides halting mid-pace as he glanced back, the harshness in his features fading, unveiling a man with nothing but the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Back when Carl got shot, if Hershel had turned us away, what’d ya think would’a happened?”

Rick paused before exhaling a long, heavy breath, some of the fight leaving him with it. “That’s not — it’s not the same —”

“It is,” Daryl interjected. “It’s the same damn thing.”

The air grew quiet as Rick’s shoulders sagged, one hand resting against his hip. “My family…” he suddenly murmured, shaking his head sadly. “I can’t risk it.”

Daryl nodded once. “I get it. After everythin’ with Shane an’ Randall, losin’ the farm the way we did, I get it, man,” he rasped, regarding him earnestly. “But m’ tellin’ ya…this’s the wrong call, Rick.”

The diner door suddenly flung open, interrupting the conversation and revealing a flustered-looking Glenn.

“Uh, hey guys,” he interrupted, sending the pair an awkward wave. “Just wanted to let you know that she’s, uh — she’s awake.”

Rick and Daryl shared a look.

“And kinda freaking out,” Glenn quickly tacked on at the end.

Daryl didn’t hesitate. He stormed past Rick and back into the diner, making a beeline towards the small crowd that had gathered around her.

“— okay, it’s okay. We’re not gonna hurt you, sweetheart,” Lori spoke softly, holding her hands out in front of her as though approaching a caged animal.

The archer pushed through the group, spotting the stranger a moment later.

She was still sitting in the booth he’d initially laid her out in — though now she was huddled away from everyone, back pressed up against the wall, knees drawn to her chest in a cowering stance. Her gaze darted frantically around the room, clearly confused and disoriented and overwhelmed.

Daryl couldn’t even begin to understand why, but he felt a wave of outrage course through him.

“C’mon, people. She ain’t a fuckin’ zoo animal,” the archer growled abruptly, taking a defensive stance in front of the booth and motioning for the rest of the group to move back. “Give the girl some damn space.”

The archer waited until everyone stepped away before turning back around and glancing down at the stranger. He was surprised to see her eyes trained on him — even more surprised at the flush of heat that spread across his chest. He held her gaze a second longer before Rick appeared, parting through the crowd like Moses and the Red Sea.

The stranger shrunk away.

Daryl wondered why the sight bothered him so much.

Rick came to a slow halt in front of her. “What’s your name?” he finally asked, his tone measured and firm.

The stranger did another sweep of the room, as though surveying just how much possible danger she was in. But when her eyes flashed up towards the archer once again, some of her unease faded. “Y/N,” she spoke hesitantly.

Rick nodded slowly before extending his arm. “Rick Grimes.”

Y/N looked at the gesture cautiously. Still, she reached out and took his hand in hers.

She appeared composed but Daryl noticed the slight tremble in her grip.

After a brief shake, Rick grabbed an empty chair and sat down at the end of the booth, resting his forearms against the table. “So, Y/N,” he began, giving the archer a look of resolve. “What happened ta’ you?”

The time after the farm fell was foggy, each day blurring into the next, suffocated by a heaviness the unknown inherently brought. But that day, the day he met her, ran stark against the rest.

Y/N had told her story like Rick asked her to do. She spoke of the small group she’d been staying with and the refuge they’d built, ultimately destroyed by the dead. Everybody had scattered — and if they hadn’t…

Any previous hesitancies the group held melted into understanding and sympathy almost immediately.

Daryl had known Y/N would be accepted into the group. Rick had hardened since the farm, but he wasn’t heartless. He wouldn’t be able to turn her away, just as the archer hadn’t been able to leave her out in those woods.

Spending the winter season on the run had been difficult for everyone — constantly running from the dead, cold and bitter nights, supplies growing scarce. The road was unforgiving, proving time and time again how completely fucked this new world was, how things would never return to the way they were, how this was now the new way of life.

Though for Daryl, if he was being honest, it wasn’t all bad — not in comparison to what his old life had given him.

He’d choose a lifetime of running over the stench of whiskey and the sting of belt buckles any day.

The only other person who’d appeared unaffected was Y/N. Besides showcasing a natural skillset in survival, she’d found her place amongst the group with ease — so effortlessly that Daryl hadn’t been able to recall what life looked like before her. She exuded a warmth that people were drawn towards — that the rest of the group clung to during the darkest of days.

But not Daryl.

He’d kept her at a distance, kept her at arm’s length because he refused to let her in as everyone else had.

Little did he know.

Daryl swiped at the beads of sweat dripping down the sides of his face.

The Georgian heat was nearly suffocating, blanketing over his body and setting his skin ablaze. He pushed away the discomfort, bending down and grabbing the ankles of one of the many walkers spread out across the prison’s courtyard. He’d lost track of how many bodies he’d dragged out, his group working tirelessly to clean out their newfound home.

The archer had just pulled the limp body through one of the fences, nearing the pickup truck used for disposal, when he heard someone approach.

“Need a hand?”

Daryl stilled — he glanced up, his eyes locking with Y/N’s, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Her hair was pulled back out of her face, a thin sheen of sweat laid out across her forehead. One hand rested on her hip, the other hovered near her face, blocking the sun rays. The sleeves of her shirt were rolled up past her elbows, streaks of dirt and blood visible against her exposed skin.

He realized then that she was really rather beautiful.

The intrusive thought caught the archer completely off guard. He quickly turned his attention downward, grunting a half-assed ‘nah’ before continuing his trek to the pickup truck, determined to preserve some space between them.

But instead of leaving, as he’d assumed she would, Y/N remained rooted in place.

Daryl faltered, the expression that flickered across her face hinting that maybe she hadn’t come to just ‘lend a helping hand’. She had something on her mind — he could tell by the way she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth, gnawing absently as she shifted her weight back and forth.

The archer dropped his hold from around the walker’s ankles and straightened. “What?” he demanded gruffly, curiosity getting the best of him.

Y/N’s eyes found his as she took a small step forward — Daryl fought back the urge to back up. “I, uh —” she paused, her mouth twisting to the side as though fumbling for the right words. “Just — thank you.”

Daryl’s brow furrowed. “For what?” he huffed.

Y/N’s head cocked to the side, seemingly surprised. “I — I don’t know,” she murmured, a soft, sort of bewildered laugh slipping past her lips. “For bringing me here, for introducing me to your people — for everything, I guess,” she expressed sincerely. “You could’ve just left me out in those woods that day — most people would’ve.”

The archer chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling incredibly exposed for some strange reason. “Was nothin’,” he finally grunted, ignoring the prickle of heat at the tips of his ears.

“It wasn’t nothing,” Y/N replied indignantly, like she was offended at the notion that he didn’t deserve her gratitude. “You saved my life.”

Daryl shifted uncomfortably, wanting nothing more than for this interaction to be over with — because once that happened, he could go back to maintaining his distance, he could go back to allowing the air between them to be just that. “Figured I owed ya,” he finally mustered, recalling the first day they’d met.

Y/N’s lips curled up into a megawatt smile and Daryl could’ve sworn he’d never seen anything so damn captivating in his entire life. “Okay,” she grinned, sticking her hand out in front of her. “We’ll call it even then.”

The archer glanced down at the gesture before warily reaching forward, taking her hand in his, and shaking once, twice, three times. Her grip was firm and she didn’t seem to mind the grime coating his skin.

When she pulled away, Daryl felt the empty spaces she’d filled set ablaze.

Y/N shot him one last smile before turning around and heading back towards the courtyard. But she’d only made it a few feet when she paused, glancing over her shoulder. “Make sure you eat something, okay?”

She didn’t wait for a response — instead, she narrowed her eyes, shooting him a look in mock-seriousness as if to say ‘I’m watching you’. Then her face broke out into another grin before she sent him a small wave — and she was gone.

Daryl watched her leave, unable to pull his gaze from her retreating form.

He tried to ignore the mess his mind was becoming, littered with confusion and insecurity, the nagging voice that lingered telling him he’d never be good enough, strong enough, brave enough for anything other than what he’d always known.

He wouldn’t let her in — he couldn’t let her in.

But as he bent down, grasping onto either ankle of the walker at his feet, he felt a tingling sensation in his fingertips he swore had everything to do with the Georgian heat and nothing to do with her.

A gentle breeze roused Daryl from his thoughts.

He shifted from where he sat, reaching into the pocket of his jeans for the pack of cigarettes he kept there.

The package was falling apart, half-crushed, half-wrinkled from everyday wear and tear, but the archer slipped one of the few remaining cigarettes out anyway and caught it between his lips.

It hadn’t taken long for him to realize that keeping Y/N at arm’s length was a futile attempt — he’d been naive to think it was possible in the first place.

Before he knew it, she’d wormed her way into the forefronts of his mind and found herself a nice, cozy corner to call home. She’d done it as effortlessly as the blink of an eye or the beat of a heart. It just happened — no rhyme or reason, no explanation or logic. It just happened.

Which made leaving that much harder.

“Daryl!”

The archer ignored Glenn’s shout, marching further into the woods and approaching a snide-looking Merle. “C’mon, bro,” the younger brother grunted, worried if they didn’t leave right then and there, he’d change his mind and return to the prison with the others.

Merle’s booming laugh sounded, drawing Daryl from his thoughts. “Well, I’ll be damned,” the man sneered, tossing an arm around the archer’s shoulders. “Looks like somebody decided ta’ grow himself a big ole’ pair a’ cojones while I was gone,” he snarked, pushing Daryl forward and falling in step beside him.

The archer pressed his lips together, swallowing his retort and focusing ahead.

“Hey, wait up!”

The voice that sounded halted Daryl in his tracks. He spun around, spotting Y/N making her way through the forest, her strides long and determined as she headed straight towards him.

“Well, would ya look a’ that,” Merle quipped under his breath, leering at her approach, his tone sending a swell of aggravation through the younger brother.

“Jus’ gimme a minute,” Daryl quickly waved him off, ignoring the prickle of heat creeping up his neck as he trudged towards her.

Y/N came to a stop in front of him, slightly out of breath, her eyes searching his for a long moment.

She seemed to have something to say, a reason for chasing after him — but it was as though she couldn’t get the words together. She glanced down, shaking her head slowly before taking a deep breath. When she looked back up, Daryl noticed a resignation in her gaze that wasn’t there before.

“Are you sure about this?” she finally asked, her troubled expression sending a pang of guilt through him.

Daryl looked away. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure — he wasn’t sure about anything anymore.

He shifted his weight, focusing back on her. “Ya watch out for yourself, ya hear me?” he rumbled, pushing away the unexpected worry gnawing at him.

Y/N’s shoulders sagged in disappointment, her defeated expression damn near changing his mind altogether. “I will,” she murmured, a bittersweet smile ghosting across her features.

Daryl held her gaze a moment longer before nodding once, turning without another word.

But he’d barely taken a step when he suddenly felt her grab his wrist and twist him back around.

Before he knew what was happening, Y/N was hugging him. She threw her arms around his middle and squeezed tight, leaving Daryl completely and utterly dumbfounded. His arms hung limply at his sides, caught off guard by the surprising gesture. Though as soon as it’d begun, it ended. Y/N unwound herself from around his body and took a step back, a pink tinge to her cheeks he hadn’t noticed earlier.

She whispered a somber goodbye — though Daryl couldn’t hear it over the sound of the blood rushing to his ears — and then she was gone.

The archer fought back the urge to follow, telling himself over and over again that he was making the right decision — he was choosing blood, he was choosing family, he was choosing —

“Hey! Where’s my hug at, sweet cheeks?” Merle’s suddenly hollered, calling after Y/N.

She didn’t look back and Daryl fought back the impulse to start swinging.

But Merle just laughed, the noise loud and boisterous as he sauntered forward. “Damn, lil’ brother. Didn’t think ya had it in ya! I was startin’ ta’ think ya played for the other fuckin’ team’,” he jeered, clapping the archer on the back with more force than necessary.

Daryl’s entire body tensed up, his darkened gaze snapping towards his brother. He noticed then that Merle was also watching Y/N — though his eye line was fixated on one specific part of her body…

“Let’s go,” the archer spat under his breath as he spun around and stormed off, his hands balling into fists.

He had to walk away. Otherwise, he’d lose it — he’d give in to instinct, he’d allow the rage coursing through him to take over, and all of this would’ve been for nothing.

So he took a deep breath, relaxed his clenched fists, and dismissed any lingering thoughts of her.

Daryl scoffed at the memory, an unlit cigarette still caught between his teeth.

He pulled out his lighter and flicked his thumb against the wheel, sparking a small flame before inhaling a deep breath. The familiar taste of nicotine and ash filled his senses as he drew smoke into his lungs, immediately feeling a rush of calm flow through him.

Daryl existed in the quiet, taking another long drag of his cigarette. He pulled his legs towards his chest, resting his elbows atop his knees, letting his hands dangle in front of him. He watched the lit cigarette butt dim and dance between his fingertips, the embers burning off and drifting into the grass.

It’d only taken a single day for the archer to come to his senses — to realize the mistake he’d made in leaving with his brother. And if he was being honest, it’d had nothing to do with Merle. He couldn’t blame his brother because his brother hadn’t changed — his brother was still the same brash, volatile, ill-tempered redneck he’d known his whole life.

No, it was him — he was the one who had changed.

“Would ya slow yer damn roll? I ain’t the athlete I used ta’ be, ya know!” Merle bellowed from somewhere behind Daryl, clearly struggling to keep up with the younger brother’s pace.

But the archer didn’t slow, his strides matching the beat of his pounding heart. He ducked under tree branches and side-stepped exposed roots, the prison growing nearer with each step he took.

It wasn’t until Daryl heard a sudden thud, followed by a viciously snarled curse, that he slowed. He spun around, spotting Merle pushing up off the forest floor.

“Ya good?” Daryl called out, crossing back and reaching down, offering his hand.

But Merle just swatted him away, his expression twisting in contempt as he staggered back to his feet. “Lemme ask ya somethin’,” he growled. “How the hell ya think this’s gonna go, huh? Ya think those assholes are jus’ gonna forget ‘bout everythin’ that happened? Ya think we’re jus’ gonna hug it out an’ sing ‘round the campfire like some kinda damn afternoon special?”

The archer fought back the urge to roll his eyes. “Ya —”

“This ‘bout that skirt from yesterday? Huh? That it?” Merle steamrolled over his attempt to interrupt, taking a step forward, the brothers now toe to toe.

Daryl felt a prickle of heat flush the back of his neck, his chest tightening. Merle was just trying to get a rise out of him — he knew that deep down — but damn, was it working. “It ain’t ‘bout her,” the archer growled defensively, fixing him with a glare. “It’s ‘bout survival, ’bout rebuildin’ — ‘bout tryin’ ta’ make somethin’ outta this shit world. It can’t jus’ be us out here, man — not anymore.”

Merle rolled his eyes. “Oh, c’mon, did Officer Friendly force-feed ya that bullshit?”

Daryl stiffened before huffing a breath and waving his brother off. He turned away, determined to continue his trek back home before it was too late — but he’d only made it a couple of feet when Merle called after him once more.

“It ain’t ever gonna work,” the older brother voiced, his usually brash tone dimming into something surprisingly vulnerable. “It — it jus’ ain’t. Not after everythin’ — not after what I did.”

The archer glanced back, watching Merle’s notorious bravado finally melt away, replaced with something he could’ve sworn looked like guilt. “We ain’t dead yet, man,” Daryl rumbled simply. “Still time ta’ make shit right.”

Merle considered his words for a long moment — but before he could respond, the sound of barraging gunfire exploded through the air.

Daryl’s head snapped in the direction of the noise, feeling his stomach drop when he realized where exactly it was coming from.

He took off into a sprint, Merle’s pounding footsteps echoing directly behind him.

Daryl lied to his brother that day.

In his defense, it hadn’t been deliberate. When Merle had questioned his intentions, alluding to the idea that Y/N was the main reason for his urgency to return home, the archer had denied it.

He hadn’t known it back then, but the truth became startlingly clear once he’d made it back to the prison, marched up the pathway leading to cellblock C, and laid eyes on her.

Daryl found Y/N crouched down beside Axel’s unmoving form, one hand resting on his shoulder.

His steps faltered, feeling as though he was intruding on a private moment — but he couldn’t help himself. The Governor had attacked the prison, his people were shaken, and damn it, he just needed to make sure she was okay.

She stood a moment later, turning to rejoin the rest of the group huddled by the fence, her despondent expression filling his bones with a red-hot rage.

But then her eyes met his.

Y/N’s footsteps stilled, her gaze widening in disbelief as she looked at him. A heartbeat passed between them before Daryl noticed how she was holding herself — hunched over slightly, one hand wrapped around the opposite arm, blood seeping out from between her fingertips.

He crossed to her in three long strides, ignoring the heat that flushed his chest the closer he neared.

Instead, he focused on the wound — that he could deal with, that made sense.

Unlike the unexpected and rapid thrumming of his pulse.

“Daryl,” she breathed in disbelief, her voice thick as though the word had gotten tangled somewhere in her throat.

His name sounded like honey the way it rolled off her tongue.

He shrugged off his crossbow and tossed it aside, wordlessly reaching forward and pulling her hand away from the injury. He examined the laceration carefully — which upon closer inspection appeared to be a gunshot wound — though luckily enough, the bullet seemed to have only grazed the side of her arm.

The archer reached into his back pocket, grabbed the red rag he kept there, and gently pressed it against the wound. “Jus’ keep pressure on it, alright?” he rasped, guiding Y/N’s limp hand to rest over the cloth, stalling the blood flow.

He glanced down at her, doing a slight double-take when he realized she was watching him, a slightly strained smile pulling at her lips. “You came back,” she whispered, her eyes warm despite the blood splattered across her cheek, the pallor in her complexion.

Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat, incredibly aware of how little space remained between them. He managed a stiff nod in response, his voice suddenly lost.

But Y/N’s smile merely grew, like the first hint of sunshine after a devastating storm.

And the tightness in his chest finally faded.

The archer inhaled another long drag from his cigarette, the smoke spilling past his lips and disappearing into the growing night.

Returning to the prison had given Daryl a sense of purpose, a sense of hope — he was back where he belonged and the threat of the Governor just didn’t seem so insurmountable anymore.

And then his big brother went and got himself killed.

Daryl stormed across the field that led to the prison’s courtyard, shoulders set, fists balled, eyes rimmed red.

The Governor would pay — he’d pay for what he’d done.

To Glenn, to Maggie, to countless others.

He’d pay for what he did to Merle.

The archer’s footsteps faltered, only briefly, when he spotted Y/N pacing back and forth behind the gate. Her head snapped towards him as he approached, her worried expression melting into relief as she quickly pulled the gate open for him.

“You okay?” she called to him, brow furrowing as she craned her neck, now looking behind him. “Where’s Merle?”

Daryl kept his gaze forward, digging his fingernails into the palm of his hand as he marched past her without a second glance. “Dead,” he grunted, ignoring the prickling sensation growing behind his eyes.

“What?” he heard her exclaim, though he didn’t turn around — he kept his momentum pushing ahead, hellbent on going after the Governor and taking him down once and for all.

No matter what the cost.

He stalked towards where he’d parked his motorcycle, slinging his crossbow over his back and mounting the bike in one swift motion.

But Y/N was just as quick.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she jogged towards him, planting herself in front of the bike, an alarmed look in her eyes. “What’re you doing?”

Daryl felt a swell of anger wash over him, an unusual feeling when directed towards her. “Move,” he growled, using his heel to knock the bike’s kickstand up.

Y/N’s brow furrowed, his intent becomingly startling clear. “No.”

He was caught off guard by her protest, though snapped out of it just as soon — his scowl deepened, his eyes darkening, seeing nothing but redness and fury and Merle’s reanimated corpse flickering through his mind. “Move, damn it,” he snarled once more.

But Y/N stood her ground regardless of the wariness in her gaze. “No.”

The archer’s rage churned inside him, his grip white-knuckled around the throttle. “Ya —”

“Please, don’t do this,” she interrupted his brusque retort, shaking her head. “I promise — I promise — he’ll get what’s coming to him, but Daryl…this is not the way.”

He knew deep down she was right, but he didn’t want to hear it — he didn’t want to hear ration or reason or the pity in her voice.

He didn’t want to hear any of it.

“I’m sorry,” she suddenly whispered, emotion clouding her eyes. “God, I’m so sorry about Merle. I’m —”

Something inside the archer snapped. “Ya know what, ya can drop the damn act,” he hissed, springing off the bike and shoving it to the ground with a deafening crash. He ignored the way Y/N flinched as he barreled towards her like a surging storm. “Ya can stop pretendin’ like anyone in this fuckin’ place gave a single shit ‘bout my brother!” he fired back, his voice rising. “Or me, for that matter!”

Y/N recoiled away from him, eyes wide. “I’m —” she started, shrinking under his heated approach. “I didn’t —”

“Forget it,” the archer spat, unable to stop the fervor spewing out of him. “Ya don’t know shit.”

A beat of silence passed as they stared one another down — but the more the quiet stretched on, the more a different emotion began to seep through the archer.

Guilt.

Unable to watch the hurt settling across Y/N’s features, Daryl turned away, allowing his brewing vehemence to carry him across the courtyard and to the doors leading into cellblock C. He paused at the doorway, unable to stop himself from looking back.

He watched Y/N’s head lower, her shoulders drop, before she slowly reached down, grabbing his toppled motorcycle by the handlebars and propping it upright.

The archer swallowed his remorse, buried his instincts, and stalked inside.

Daryl hissed a breath as the burnt end of the cigarette singed his fingertip. He stubbed the flame out against the heel of his boot, flicking the butt away into the grass.

Still, to this day, he felt bad about losing his temper. The anger had clearly been misdirected, but in the moment, he hadn’t been able to get a handle on it — Y/N had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Despite the aftermath of his outburst weighing heavily on him, he’d kept his distance from her throughout the days that followed.

Old habits die hard.

Daryl woke with a start, his eyes snapping open, chasing away lingering images of the nightmare he’d found himself immersed in.

Sleep had never been kind to him, even before everything went to shit — tonight was no different.

He could still see flashes of redness and death, smell the scent of rotting corpses and bloodshed, hear the sounds of tormented screams and anguished whimpers —

Daryl’s thoughts faltered as he quickly pushed up onto his elbows, straining his ears.

He realized then that the whimpering wasn’t coming from just his imagination. No, it was real — and it was coming from somewhere inside the cellblock.

The archer sprang up, untangling himself from the bed sheet coiled at his feet before shuffling towards the doorway. He paused there, his senses on high alert, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he listened carefully.

When another soft cry sounded, he moved from the entryway, slowly slinking past cell after cell and following the noise.

It wasn’t long before he found himself standing outside Y/N’s cell.

Daryl peered into the shadowed room, just barely able to make out the shape of her beneath the covers. She murmured something jumbled and incoherent, her words muffled as though her face was pressed into the pillow. She tossed and turned for a moment before finally settling.

When she remained still, the archer nearly left for his own cell.

But then he heard a quietly gasped sob and began moving forward before he could think twice.

Daryl crouched down beside Y/N’s bedside, turning on the lantern she’d left sitting on the floor. He shielded his eyes from the light until they adjusted before focusing on her.

She was curled up, covers drawn to her chin, faint tear tracks marking the sides of her face. Her brow was knitted, causing lines to form across her forehead — he fought back the urge to reach out and smooth them away.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one sleep was unkind to.

Another soft whimper blew past her lips and Daryl reached for her, gently shaking her shoulder.

Y/N immediately jolted awake, shooting upright, disoriented and alarmed as her bleary eyes darted around the cell.

“Hey, hey,” Daryl quickly rasped, holding his hands out in front of him. “It’s alright.”

“What — what happened?” she croaked, her voice thick with sleep, her wide gaze finally settling on him.

The archer shook his head, pulling back slightly, second-guessing his decision to wake her. “Nothin’ — nothin’, alright? We’re okay.”

“What —” she sounded, a bewildered look flitting across her face as she settled her hand against her undoubtedly racing heart. “Are you okay?”

Daryl’s brow furrowed at her question, confused as to why that would be her next question and not ‘what the fuck are you doing in my cell?’ Regardless, he nodded once. “Yeah,” the archer brushed off her concern, sitting back on his haunches. “Ya — uh, ya were cryin’,” he revealed hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck as he watched for her reaction.

Y/N straightened, the top bunk just grazing the crown of her head as she dabbed her fingertip at the corner of her eye, appearing almost embarrassed suddenly. “Oh,” she whispered, wiping away the tears that’d formed.

Daryl gnawed on the inside of his cheek. “Ya alright?” he rasped after a long moment.

She quickly nodded her head, waving off his worry. “Oh, no — yeah, no, I’m fine,” she replied flippantly, shooting the archer a tight-lipped smile.

Despite Daryl seeing right through her bullshit, he didn’t push.

Instead, he nodded once and clambered back to his feet.

But he’d just barely turned to leave when Y/N spoke up once more. “Hey, Daryl?”

The archer faltered, glancing back at her. “Yeah?”

Her demeanor appeared collected, though he could see her hands twisting nervously around the sheet splayed out across his lap. “I —” she paused, seemingly working up the nerve to say what was next. “Are we okay?”

Daryl felt his chest tighten, the heaviness that’d grown between them splintering in that moment. There was something about her words, the smallness in her voice, that had him kicking himself for being so damn stubborn, for not making things right sooner.

She raked a hand through her tousled hair. “I just — I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have — I mean, I wasn’t trying to —”

“Stop,” Daryl cut off her rambling, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I was actin’ like an asshole,” he grumbled admittedly, the shame he’d buried creeping back in.

The tension in Y/N’s features softened as she regarded him. “It’s okay.”

For some reason, her easy forgiveness made Daryl’s insides churn.

“Nah, it ain’t,” he shot back sharply, almost wishing she’d curse him out instead. “Wasn’t right ta’ take that shit out on ya.”

“You were grieving,” she justified, her explanation simple and understanding.

Daryl worked his jaw, clenching and unclenching as he stared at the far wall of her cell, his gaze darkening — he didn’t deserve her compassion. “Well, ya probably stopped me from doin’ somethin’ real stupid,” he muttered dryly.

She merely shrugged, still completely unfazed. “Grief makes us do stupid things,” she murmured, defending him yet again. “I am sorry about your brother, you know,” she whispered a moment later, the sincerity in her voice knocking down the wall Daryl had worked so hard to keep between them.

He nodded slowly, clearing his throat before speaking again. “Merle was no hero,” he finally rumbled. “But he died tryin’ ta’ make shit right,” he mustered, his eyes finding hers amidst the shadows of her cell.

Y/N shot him a small, somewhat sad smile. “Then he didn’t die for nothing.”

Daryl swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, feeling as though his heart was moments away from bursting out of his chest. It was as though the cell was shrinking around him, the walls closing in — and the only thing keeping him above the surface was her.

“Get some sleep,” he managed gruffly, turning to leave once more.

“Daryl?”

The archer stilled. “Hm?” he sounded, not trusting his voice.

“Can you stay?” she whispered, so softly he almost missed it entirely. “Just a little longer?”

Daryl shifted his weight back and forth, feeling the overwhelming urge to run, to retreat to his own cell and pretend he hadn’t heard her.

But the slight tremble in her voice, something others surely would’ve missed, pulled him right back in.

The air thickened as he walked towards her, every fiber of his being screaming at him to make a run for it while he still had the chance. Y/N watched him approach, slightly wide-eyed, his steps faltering the closer he neared. She maneuvered slightly on the bed, moving towards the wall as though making room for him beside her.

Instead, Daryl did the most rational thing he could think of — he grabbed the empty mattress on the top bunk, slid it off the frame, and dropped it onto the floor next to her.

Y/N’s brow furrowed. “Oh, you don’t have to —”

“G’night,” Daryl interjected abruptly, avoiding her gaze as he quickly turned off the lantern and laid down. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest and squeezed his eyes shut, his face surely on fire.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Daryl peeked an eye open, certain she could hear his thrumming pulse from where she sat. But a moment later, the bed creaked as she settled back down against the rickety mattress.

He released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

The archer wasn’t sure how much time passed before Y/N’s breathing evened out, the stranger from the woods all those days ago finally falling into a deep and restful sleep.

He, on the other hand, remained awake until morning came.

She’d asked him to stay and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Not even sleep could take him from her.

Everything changed after that night.

After the people from Woodbury moved into the prison, the demand for supplies nearly tripled. The archer found himself going on runs more often than not, hunting for game or scavenging local businesses — but the days and nights he was home were spent with her.

They fell into a routine of sorts. The days were spent working the fence or tending to things around the prison — but most nights, they’d sneak away from the others and spend hours sitting atop one of the unused watchtowers.

It became ‘their spot’, as Y/N had put it.

Some nights they sat quietly, existing in comfortable silence, watching the vast night sky. Other nights, Daryl would learn things about her — those were his favorite nights.

Y/N would talk about anything and everything — the mundane stuff, the deep stuff, the things in between — while Daryl would rest his head against the watchtower and close his eyes, listening to the way her voice rose and fell. She’d tell stories of her life before the end and her hopes for the future as though there still was one.

And over time, despite the world decaying at its very core, even Daryl started to believe that maybe, just maybe, there could be one.

She became his solace.

Hell, maybe she always had been, but he’d been too damn stupid to realize it.

“I’m sick of hearing myself talk,” Y/N suddenly spoke, a soft laugh following.

Daryl’s eyes snapped open as he glanced over at her, his brow furrowing.

She shifted from where she sat, the side of her face illuminated by moonlight. “Tell me something about you,” she said sweetly, her knee brushing against his as she rested one shoulder against the watchtower, giving him her full attention.

The archer felt his face warm under her curiosity. “Ya know plenty,” he grunted — and it was the truth. He’d told her more about himself than anyone else in his entire life.

“Oh, come on,” she countered and though Daryl couldn’t see it, he sensed an eye roll. “Just one thing? Something I don’t already know and then I’ll leave you alone.”

He huffed a breath. “Fine,” he grumbled, giving in.

Y/N waited patiently as the archer fell into thought, racking his brain for something to share — something even worth sharing. The silence that dredged on wasn’t helping either — if anything, it only added to the pressure. His life wasn’t all that interesting, never had been, never would be.

Daryl snuck a glance at Y/N — well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true.

“Uh,” he rumbled, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t know. Guess I always wanted a dog?” he mustered, the confession coming off more so a question than an actual statement.

Still, Y/N’s face broke out into one of her million-dollar smiles. “I can totally see you with a dog,” she beamed. “You never had one?”

Daryl almost shook his head, but then a faint memory came to mind. He looked away, propping his elbows against his knees and focusing straight ahead.

“When, uh —” he cleared his throat uncomfortably, picking absently at the skin beside his thumbnail. “When I was a kid, I was walkin’ home from school. Found this stray covered in mud, damn near skin an’ bones. An’ so I took it home,” he pressed his lips together before snorting a breath. “Even tied my shoelace ‘round its neck like a leash.”

“Aw,” Y/N sounded softly.

“Mhm,” the archer mumbled, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

After a stretch of silence lingered, she spoke up once more. “But you didn’t keep it?”

Daryl began picking at his skin a little more aggressively. “My old man — he was on a bender. Started screamin’ an’ hollerin’ when he saw me ‘cause he ‘didn’t wanna take care a’ no mangy mutt’,” he bit out, echoing his father’s words from all those years ago. “He threw somethin’ — don’t remember what. Maybe an empty whiskey bottle. Poor dog was scared outta its mind,” he murmured, shaking his head. “It pissed on the floor, right in front a’ him.”

Y/N’s expression turned troubled, her lips forming into a small frown.

Daryl ignored the tightness growing in his throat. “So he tossed the dog in his truck, drove off, an’ that was that — I never saw it again,” he finished, wincing as he ripped a small piece of skin off his thumb, drawing a drop of blood.

“What’d your dad do?” Y/N asked, her voice small.

The archer wiped the blood off onto his jeans. “Don’t know,” he shrugged, glancing over at her. “He never said an’ I never asked.”

She held his gaze for a long moment before letting out a soft sigh.

Daryl turned his head, staring out over the railing and into the darkened forest. He’d never told anyone that story — not even Merle, who’d been doing another stint in juvie at the time. The truth was, he carried a lot of guilt from that day. Sure, he was only a kid, but he was the one who’d brought the stray home in the first place.

Whatever happened to that dog…well, that was on him.

“Hey,” Y/N murmured, gently poking the side of his arm, drawing him back to her. “Maybe we’ll find you a dog of your own someday.”

Daryl quirked a brow, unconvinced.

“You never know,” she shrugged. “What would you name it?”

He scoffed softly in response, shaking his head.

“Come on,” she reached over and poked him once more. “Humor me.”

“How ‘bout this,” the archer relented. “If — an’ that’s a big-ass if — we ever find a dog someday, ya get ta' name it.”

Y/N’s face immediately lit up. “Me?”

“Mhm,” he nodded his head, feeling the corners of his lips twitch.

She exhaled a breath, her gaze widening. “This…this is a shit-ton of pressure, Dixon,” she whispered, the wheels in her mind, very obviously, turning.

Despite everything, a soft laugh rumbled from deep inside Daryl’s chest, the sound strange and unfamiliar. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d genuinely laughed — the noise got stuck in his throat, like his body was physically rejecting the sensation.

When he noticed Y/N watching him, a cheeky grin plastered across her face, his skin flushed.

“Okay, okay, let me think…” she grew serious, closing her eyes and resting her chin against her clasped hands. Not even a second later, her eyes shot open. “Got it!”

Daryl motioned for her to continue. “Lemme hear it.”

“Alright,” she shifted, facing him head-on. “Dog.”

The archer’s brow knitted together, his gaze narrowing. “Dog?”

“Dog,” she nodded resolutely.

“Ya — ya wanna name the dog ‘Dog’?” he questioned dubiously.

“Yup,” she grinned, popping the ‘p’.

Daryl rolled his eyes, fighting back a smirk. “Ya got a couple a’ screws loose, ya know that?” he teased, tapping the side of his head.

“Shut up,” Y/N laughed softly, nudging him with her elbow.

A beat of quiet passed between them before Daryl cleared his throat. “We ought'a head back,” he grumbled, starting to stand.

But then Y/N reached out, grabbing onto his hand. “Hang on,” she objected, looking up at him. “Just a few more minutes?” she asked, gently tugging his arm down.

The skin on his hand tingled beneath her touch as her gaze, warm like honey, melted further into his.

Before he could think twice, he found himself settling back down beside her, his hand still intertwined around hers.

Besides, when had he ever been able to say ‘no’ to her?

Daryl could’ve sworn those nights up in the watchtower were the best nights of his life.

Then the prison fell.

And destroyed everything good along with it.

“Do you miss her?”

Daryl’s eyes snapped open, just then noticing the quiet that’d settled over the funeral home. He glanced over at Beth, who remained seated in front of the piano, her kind gaze watching him curiously.

Settling further inside the casket he laid in, the archer turned to stare up at the ceiling, folding one arm behind his head, the other laid out across his stomach. He ignored Beth’s question — not because it wasn’t true, but because he knew if he spoke, if he started talking about her, the hollowness inside his chest would swallow him whole.

“I think she’s still out there,” Beth assured him quietly, steadfast in hanging onto whatever hope she could muster. “I think they all are.”

Daryl grunted softly in response, not trusting his voice.

He wanted to believe that — he wanted nothing more than to believe that Y/N and the others were out there somewhere, somewhere safe. But he wasn’t a foolish man — and he just couldn’t bring himself to feign the kind of certainty that came so effortlessly to Beth.

“‘And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith’,” she suddenly murmured, her eyes glowing against the candlelight, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips. “Daddy used ta’ quote scripture — that was one of his favorites,” she explained, her voice growing thick at the mention of her father. She pulled herself together before continuing. “I have faith,” her words were resolute, as though not only trying to convince him but herself as well.

The archer huffed a breath, crossing his arms over his chest. “Got enough for the both a’ us?” he muttered dryly, quirking a brow.

Beth laughed, breaking the heaviness that’d spread. “Sure do,” she beamed before shooting him a meaningful look. “You can thank me later.”

With that, she swiveled around on the bench and faced the piano once more, her fingers dancing along the keys, filling the room with a gentle melody.

Daryl wasn’t a religious man — never had been, never would be.

He didn’t buy into all that bullshit. If there was a God out there…what the fuck was he doing? Where was he? Why didn’t he stop the world from ending? Why did he let the bad destroy the good, time and time again?

He just couldn’t put his faith into something so cruel, so merciless.

Daryl wasn’t a religious man.

But for the first time in his entire life, he closed his eyes and prayed.

The archer felt his throat constrict.

He tilted his head back, looking up at the darkened sky. The sun had melted into the Earth, in its place thousands upon thousands of littered stars, surrounding a glowing crescent-shaped moon.

Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe there was a God out there — some higher power or greater being — who’d been listening that night in the funeral home.

Because somehow, someway, despite all the odds stacked against him…he’d found her.

Daryl felt his lip split beneath another vicious punch, his head snapping to the side.

He was losing strength, his bruised body slowly giving out on him as two of the Claimers continued to relentlessly beat him. It seemed like no matter how hard he fought back, he just couldn’t get the upper hand.

He was outnumbered and unarmed, but as long as their attention remained on him, he wouldn’t back down — because once they were done with him, they’d move on to the others.

They’d move on to her.

Daryl caught Y/N’s horrified gaze from the other side of the road — she was knelt in front of Tony, who had a fistful of her hair in his grip, simultaneously holding Michonne at gunpoint. Y/N was struggling against his hold, attempting to break free, her features twisted in pain.

A low growl rumbled from deep inside the archer, a red-hot rage coursing through his veins as he fought even harder against the two men.

He managed to dodge another punch, but in the process, connected with a swift jab to the ribcage. He exhaled sharply, losing his breath as the two closed in on him once more — though as the archer braced himself for the next strike, he noticed that the men had suddenly frozen in place.

Daryl followed their stares, finally understanding what had caused the abrupt standstill.

Rick was staggering away from the leader of the Claimers, red staining the bottom half of his face — the archer didn’t even realize it was blood until he saw Joe. The man swayed unsteadily on his feet, eyes wide, mouth agape, as his hands reached for where his throat should’ve been.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Michonne grabbed Tony’s gun and turned it on himself, shooting him once. Daryl followed suit, landing a solid hook against the side of Billy’s face. He heard another gunshot ring out but was too focused on the man at his feet to notice. Without any hesitation, the archer stomped the heel of his boot into the man’s skull, killing him instantly.

He backed away from Billy’s crushed form, stumbling over Harvey’s body, a bullet hole now between his lifeless eyes. He spun around, steadying himself against the hood of the car in front of him as he worked to control his heaving breaths. He’d turned just in time to see Rick mercilessly stabbing Dan, over and over again until the man’s center was nothing but a mess of blood and guts.

And then he saw her.

She was still on her knees, though now hunched over beside Tony, staring silently at his unmoving figure.

Daryl pushed away from the truck and rounded the hood, his heart leaping into his throat as he made a beeline towards her. His footsteps faltered the closer he neared, the sight before him suddenly registering — Tony had been shot through the neck by Michonne, but the front of his skull had also been caved in.

His gaze flickered towards Y/N, just then noticing the blood-soaked boulder clasped tightly in her hand.

It took every ounce of strength to not rush forward, to not pull her into his arms and hold her close because damn it, she was alive, she was okay, she was here.

The archer stepped over Tony’s body, slowly crouching down in front of Y/N — when his approach didn’t stir her, a jolt of unease shot through him. Her vacant eyes were trained on the dead man, her features expressionless and ashen. There was a cut just above her eyebrow, a small trail of blood trickling down the side of her face, but other than that, she appeared relatively unharmed.

Daryl gently took her hand in his and carefully unclasped her fingers from around the rock. He tossed the boulder aside before settling down, kneeling opposite her, his deep blue eyes maintaining a watchful look.

The archer brushed his thumb over the back of her limp hand, squeezing softly a moment later.

And then, almost hesitantly, she squeezed back.

Daryl held his breath as her eyes found his, welling with unshed tears, the helplessness in her haunted gaze twisting his insides. “I never killed someone before,” she whispered suddenly, choking on her words as though speaking shards of glass.

He wasn’t used to seeing her this way — she’d always been so steady, a light others were drawn towards, that he’d been drawn towards. And now…well, now he wished the Claimers would come alive so he could rip them apart all over again.

Unable to stand the sight of her broken expression any longer, Daryl reached for her. “C’mere,” he rasped, slipping his hand behind the back of her head and pulling her forward.

Y/N’s features crumpled as she fell against his chest, a hitched sob catching in her throat. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, gripping onto the front of his vest as though he was the only thing keeping her afloat.

He wrapped his other arm securely around her back, keeping her cradled against his body. “S’ alright,” the archer rumbled as she held on tighter to him, her frame trembling as she cried. “I got ya, Y/N, I got ya.”

Daryl wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, woven around one another, his pounding heart echoing hers.

But he didn’t mind — because he’d found her.

And nothing else seemed to matter much with her engulfed in his arms.

The weeks that’d followed nearly destroyed them all.

With unrelenting heat, dwindling supplies, and the hollowness of loss inside each of them, morale had been at an all-time low. The little amount of food they’d managed to scrounge up had been divvied into morsels — though not enough to soothe their aches of hunger. The water supply eventually depleted, leaving their throats raw and mouths like cotton as they walked — day after day, down winding road after winding road, searching for salvation that was nowhere to find.

The line that’d separated them from the dead had become alarmingly thin.

And it’d only been a matter of time before that line disappeared altogether.

Daryl roused from his sleep, somehow feeling even more exhausted than when he first closed his eyes.

He scrubbed at his face, wiping away the thin sheen of sweat that’d formed before huffing a breath. The sign of first morning light seeped through the canopy of trees above him, visible through the motionless overgrowth of leaves and greenery. The heat was already suffocating — his clothes stuck uncomfortably to his skin, his throat desperate for water he couldn’t afford to drink.

But focusing on that, focusing on the discomfort, was much easier than acknowledging the looming darkness that lingered.

The archer pushed up onto his elbows, the forest floor digging into his skin. He scanned the makeshift camp his group had set up, positioned just off the main road. Almost everyone was still asleep, curled up on the harsh wooded ground within the permitter they’d barricaded.

Except for Y/N who was nowhere to be seen.

Daryl felt his stomach lurch as he pulled himself off the ground and staggered to his feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness he felt — it’d been days since he’d eaten, since any of them had eaten. He grabbed his crossbow and slung it over his shoulder, tiptoeing around the others as to not wake them — they deserved a few more minutes in a reality that wasn’t as fucked as this one.

The only other person awake was Glenn, who’d volunteered to be on watch. He sat with his back against a large tree trunk, Maggie at his side, her head resting against his shoulder.

Daryl headed towards them, drawing Glenn’s attention. But before he could say anything, Glenn nodded his head towards something on the main road, careful not to jostle Maggie awake.

The archer followed his gaze, spotting Y/N through the trees. He nodded once in silent ‘thanks’, feeling the pit in his stomach loosen as he marched out of the woods and crossed over the asphalt.

Y/N was sitting on the hood of a long-since abandoned car, her feet perched atop the dented front bumper. Her eyes flashed towards him as he approached, prominent dark circles beneath a weary gaze, so unlike the warmth he was used to seeing.

Daryl felt his throat constrict — he could handle his own demons, the heaviness that’d latched onto his bones after the last few weeks.

But hers?

She needed to be okay — he needed her to be okay.

He slid onto the hood, the car dipping below his weight as he settled beside her. A comfortable silence stretched on as they stared down the long and desolate road ahead, each lost in their own thoughts.

“I miss ‘our spot’,” Y/N suddenly murmured, her tone wistful.

Daryl grunted softly in response, the nights they’d spent up in the watchtower flashing through his mind.

He missed it too — he hadn’t known peace like that before.

“God, we had it so good back then,” she exhaled a breath, lowering her head.

The archer peeked over at her, hearing the hint of emotion growing in her words, the sadness she tried to conceal. But she couldn’t hide it — not from him.

He could tell how she was feeling by the steadiness of her breath.

“We still had Hershel…” she whispered, clasping her hands together, her knuckles turning white. “Bob…Tyreese…” her voice cracked slightly before she glanced up. “Beth.”

It was Daryl’s turn to look away.

He couldn’t think about her — not without smelling moonshine and ash, not without feeling the weight of her lifeless body in his arms.

He never got to thank her.

When the prison fell, Daryl had been certain he’d never see Y/N again — that somehow, someway, she’d burned along with it. But Beth…she’d known — she’d known he’d find her again one day.

And he never got to thank her.

“I know you’re in pain,” Y/N’s voice broke through his guilt-ridden thoughts, drawing him back to her. “And I know how easy it is to just shove it down and push it away and pretend like it doesn’t exist,” she looked over at him then, her gaze steady and knowing — and despite the scrutiny, he couldn’t find it in himself to look away. “And I’m not asking you to talk about it. But please, just — just don’t pretend like it’s not there.”

Daryl gnawed on the inside of his cheek, his teeth breaking skin and filling his senses with the metallic taste of blood.

When Y/N reached towards him, he stiffened.

She slowly brushed away the hair that fell in front of his eyes, smoothing the strands back out of his face. “You’re not carved out of stone, Daryl,” she murmured gently before resting her palm against his flushed cheek.

The air suddenly thickened, the archer becoming painfully aware of how little space remained between them. There was a pull — almost magnetic — that urged him to lean closer, to draw nearer, to take her in his arms and shut out the rest of the world.

But before he could give into instinct, he pulled away and hopped off the hood of the car, landing on his feet with a huff.

Daryl looked anywhere but at her, ignoring the slight tremble in his fingertips. “M’ gonna —” he quickly cleared the thickness in his throat. “M’ gonna take a look ‘round — see what I can see.”

Y/N was quiet, though the archer didn’t dare look at her. “Okay,” she finally sounded — and even though Daryl couldn’t see her expression, he could hear the tangible defeat in her tone.

He clenched his jaw, kicking himself for being the source of her disappointment as he beelined towards the woods on the other side of the road, opposite the campsite.

But he’d only taken a couple of steps when he faltered, realizing then that he couldn’t just walk away — he’d never been able to just walk away.

Not from her.

“I hear ya,” he rasped, glancing back at her, the words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them. “Ya know, what ya were sayin’ before an’ — an’ all that. I jus’ — I hear ya,” he mustered, the jumbled explanation all he could offer.

A tired smile tugged at Y/N’s lips. “I know,” she assured him softly.

Daryl held her gaze before nodding once, turning without another word, and disappearing into the trees.

A newfound determination coursed through the archer as he ventured further into the woods — there had to be something else out there, somewhere his people could call ‘home’. They couldn’t keep going on like this, fighting day-to-day just to survive — it couldn’t be them and the dead anymore.

There had to be something else, something more.

The world couldn’t be all bad.

Not the same world that’d given him her.

Daryl pulled his gaze away from the darkened sky.

His eyes trailed over the towering gates that surrounded Alexandria — sturdy iron sheets and impenetrable steel, the only thing keeping away the dead that roamed just outside them. He brushed his fingers over the ground, tugging at the overgrown blades of grass beneath where he sat as he fell back in thought.

Despite his initial doubt that Alexandria was all it promised to be, in time, the community had proven him wrong. Sure, there were fractures in its foundation, but it was better than nothing.

It was better than before.

And for the first time since the end of everything, there was hope for a future.

Smoke spilled past the archer’s lips, wafting in front of him before disappearing into the night air.

The streets of Alexandria were still — a welcomed change in comparison to life outside the walls. Daryl shifted on the porch steps, taking another drag from his cigarette as he rested his back against the railing. He tilted his head backward, blowing out a lungful of smoke, feeling his nerves calm in the process.

“Hey, stranger,” a voice suddenly called, breaking the quiet that’d stretched on.

Daryl knew that voice — knew it better than the back of his own damn hand.

He quickly shook away the hair that’d fallen in front of his eyes, watching as Y/N approached.

She looked different — her hair was washed, her clothes no longer blood-stained and tattered. The lines of worry that’d marred her features were smoothed away, replaced by a warm smile that only grew the closer she neared. It was strange — almost like getting a glimpse of her before the dead started walking.

Her footsteps slowed as she stopped in front of him, her head cocking slightly to the side. “What’s that look for?”

Daryl ducked his head down, his face feeling fuzzy — like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Nothin’,” he shook his head, inhaling another drag from his cigarette before stubbing the flame out against the porch steps.

Y/N plopped down beside him, propping her back up against the railing opposite his. “So,” she started, turning her attention towards him. “Deanna was asking where you were tonight.”

The archer scoffed as he flicked the cigarette butt away. “Aaron’s,” he rasped, pulling one knee to his chest, resting his elbow on top of it.

Y/N appeared surprised at his response but didn’t push further. Instead, she exhaled heavily. “This place is like the fucking Twilight Zone.”

He huffed a breath, nodding in agreement. “Ya headin’ back over there?” he rumbled after a moment, jerking his head in the direction of the welcome party.

“Oh, no,” she quickly shook her head. “I’m sick of people,” she admitted before glancing over at him. “You don’t count.”

Daryl snorted a laugh, rolling his eyes despite the strange sort of pride her words brought him.

A beat of silence passed before Y/N spoke again. “Aaron seems like a good guy.”

The archer grunted softly in response, their conversation from earlier coming to mind. “He wants me ta’ start scoutin’ with him — findin’ other survivors, bringin’ ‘em back.”

Y/N’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

“Mhm,” Daryl sounded, nestling the side of his thumb between his teeth.

“Is that something you’d wanna do?” she asked, leaning forward a fraction.

He paused, taking a minute to consider her words. If he was being honest, he felt more comfortable outside Alexandria’s walls than inside — and having a good enough reason to be back on the road didn’t seem like such a bad thing. But if he was being really honest…

Daryl’s gaze met Y/N’s once more — he hadn’t been away from her since the prison fell.

That wasn’t exactly a time in his life he’d like to revisit.

“I do alright out there, I guess,” he shrugged a shoulder up, dropping his hand back into his lap.

A look of amusement flashed over her features in response. “That’s quite the understatement.”

The corner of his mouth quirked, but he couldn’t seem to ease the sudden worry gnawing at him. “Ya gonna be alright in here?” he rasped, steadying her with a serious look.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” she countered smoothly — but Daryl could hear the hint of something in her tone, something he couldn’t quite place. When he remained silent, Y/N’s expression turned reflective. “I think it’ll be a good thing — you could help a lot of people out there who need it.”

The archer picked up on her deflection. “That ain’t what m’ askin’,” he retorted, calling her bluff.

Y/N looked as though she wanted to argue — but then her lips pressed together, forming a thin line. “I don’t know,” she finally said, avoiding his gaze. “I just — I don’t like being away from you, that’s all,” she admitted quietly, wringing her clasped hands together.

He stilled, never having been more grateful for nightfall — otherwise, she surely would’ve seen the sudden redness creeping over his cheeks.

“But, like I said,” she continued, exhaling a slightly awkward laugh. “It’ll be a good thing.”

He nodded once. “Mhm,” he sounded, not trusting his voice.

Her eyes softened before she began pulling herself up off the porch steps. “Well, I’m gonna get some sleep — see you in the morning?”

The archer cleared his throat. “I’ll see ya,” he rumbled.

A small smile tugged at Y/N’s lips as she headed up the steps, gently squeezing his shoulder as she passed.

He didn’t move a muscle, listening intently for the sound of the front door shutting before closing his eyes, ignoring the tingling sensation beneath where she’d touched him.

Daryl huffed a defeated breath. “Shit.”

Had he given into instinct that night, he would’ve told her the truth.

He would’ve told her that he felt the same way, that being away from her felt like losing half of himself, that nothing in his life had ever made sense until he met her. The words had toyed at the tip of his tongue, desperate to be heard after being swallowed time and time again — but he just hadn’t been able to do it.

He could almost hear Merle’s snide voice in the back of his head — taunting him, calling him ‘whipped’ and a ‘pussy’ and a ‘good-for-nothin’ redneck’, mocking him for even considering that someone like her could feel anything for someone like him.

So instead, he’d reverted back to what he knew best — shutting down and pushing away.

It wasn’t intentional, merely second nature after years and years of repetition.

But the wall he’d worked so hard to build stood no chance.

Not against her.

Daryl knew something was wrong the moment he crossed back through Alexandria’s gates.

And then the screaming started.

He took off into a sprint, his heart mimicking the echo of his footsteps pounding against the asphalt. He could hear Aaron and Morgan just behind, right on his heels, their heavy breathing mirroring his own as the sounds of anguish grew louder.

The archer felt his stomach drop the closer he neared, his mind repeating one, single phrase over and over again —

Just let her be okay.

When he and Aaron had gotten trapped in that car earlier, surrounded by walkers, he’d thought that was it for him. He was going to lead the dead away and give Aaron enough time to make it out, to make it back to Alexandria where he could continue doing what he did best — bringing salvation to those who needed it.

He’d made peace with his decision.

And as he’d grabbed the door handle, moments away from pushing into the raging swarm, he’d only been thinking one thing —

Just let her be okay.

For some reason, he’d been given a second chance and all he wanted was to see her again. It was nearly overwhelming, setting his nerves ablaze, sending his heart racing — it consumed him entirely, the thought of her.

He’d realized then what he should’ve known all along.

He’d never felt for anyone the way he felt for her.

Daryl finally found the others, all gathered in the center of town — but he barely had time to register what was happening when a single gunshot rang out.

Aaron and Morgan stood frozen beside him as they took in the scene — Rick had a gun in hand, the barrel pointed towards the ground, directly above Pete’s now-shattered skull. The crowd looked on in horror, huddled together near a dimly lit fire, eyes wide, mouths agape. Then he saw Reg — his throat sliced open, his body splayed out across Deanna’s lap, Michonne’s bloody katana lying beside him.

“Rick?” Morgan suddenly spoke, breaking the deafening silence that’d followed.

The sound drew Rick’s attention, his vacant eyes finding Morgan’s — but Daryl’s gaze drifted, meeting hers instead.

His stomach dropped when he saw her — she had one hand pressed against her cheek, blood trickling out from between her fingers, her face frozen in disbelief.

Daryl moved towards her, the rest of the world fading away.

Just let her be okay.

Y/N’s expression shifted as he neared, the apprehension that’d marred her features melting, turning into relief despite her ashen complexion and the chaos surrounding them. She absently shook her head back and forth, opening her mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out.

The archer came to a stop in front of her, his own voice lost somewhere deep inside his chest. So instead, he reached for her, very carefully, as though she’d been spun from glass. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and gently pulled her hand away from her face, revealing a gash that stretched across the entirety of her cheek.

The swell of rage that coursed through him felt red-hot, flushing his skin as he stared at the wound, his eyes glinting dangerously by the light of the fire.

“She caught the nasty end of Petey-boy’s backswing,” came Abraham’s gruff voice.

Daryl hadn’t even realized the man approached — he was too busy thinking up new ways to bring Pete back to life, all so he could shoot the dead prick dead all over again.

Abraham crouched down a few inches beside him, taking a closer look at Y/N’s injury before whistling softly. “Ya must be ridin’ the gravy train with biscuit wheels, lil’ lady. That sack a’ shit damn near took your eye out,” he drawled before glancing over at Daryl. “Don’t think she needs stitches — unless someone wants ta’ reincarnate Dr. Dickwad for a second opinion.”

Y/N attempted to huff a laugh, but the motion had her wincing, her features twisting in pain.

And Daryl had seen enough.

He grunted a gruff ‘I got it’, giving Abraham a nod of appreciation before taking Y/N by the elbow and maneuvering her away from the others, back onto the street.

She allowed him to guide her elsewhere, neither saying a single word.

The two houses Deanna had provided to the group had been split amongst the lot of them. Daryl chose to reside in the finished basement — it was small and dingy, but he didn’t mind. The room had a couch and a bathroom and was much nicer than any other place he’d ever stayed at — even before the end of times.

And right now, it was serving as a makeshift infirmary.

Y/N sat perched on the edge of the couch, her knee bouncing anxiously as she watched Daryl barrel around the space like a rampant tornado. He grabbed whatever he could think of — the first aid kit stored beneath the bathroom sink, a bottle of water, a clean t-shirt to swap out for her blood-spattered one — before making his way back to her. He set the items down on the coffee table in front of the couch and took a seat on the edge of it, opposite her.

Still, neither spoke.

Daryl kept his eyes focused on the slash mark — that was much easier than acknowledging the absence of space between them. He unscrewed the cap to the water bottle, emptying a small amount onto a dry piece of gauze before leaning forward. Ever so slowly, he dabbed at the blood that’d dripped down her face and onto her neck, ignoring the near-palpable tension.

Y/N sat still as a statue, tilting her head back slightly as he wiped away the redness. But when he moved further up, nearing the wound, she flinched, hissing reflexively. Daryl snatched his hand back as if slapped, his eyes meeting hers, quietly apologetic.

She nodded for him to continue, taking a deep breath and balling her hands into fists atop her thighs.

The archer worked his jaw, lightening his touch.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat like that — all he knew was that when he was with her, nothing else really seemed to matter.

Luckily, the wound wasn’t as severe as it’d initially appeared — it was fairly shallow, faint towards the edges, and in time would heal completely. He wanted to tell her so, but the words wouldn’t formulate — the silence that’d stretched on felt untouchable.

So instead, Daryl focused on her hands, wiping away the blood that’d stained the grooves of her skin — and although she tried to conceal it, he could feel the slight tremble in her fingertips.

After he was done cleaning her hands, he sat back, his knee brushing against hers. He glanced up, flicking his hair away and studying the cut on her face — it’d stopped bleeding, though the edges were an angry-red, spiking his own temper once more. The collar of her shirt was soaked crimson, the color more muted in areas that’d already dried.

He hadn’t noticed the way their hands remained intertwined until Y/N squeezed softly, snapping him back to reality.

Daryl pulled his hand from hers and stood, grabbing the extra t-shirt off the table and dropping it into her lap. He scooped up the first aid kit before spinning around and stalking back towards the bathroom, giving her privacy as she began to change.

The archer avoided his reflection entirely, certain he’d see nothing but flushed skin and remorseful eyes. He squatted down, yanking open the drawer beneath the sink and tossing the kit inside. He gnashed his teeth together and grabbed onto the counter, his grip white-knuckled around the edge.

He needed to get a fucking hold of himself, that was for damn sure.

After regaining his composure, Daryl slammed the drawer shut with more force than necessary and pulled himself up in one swift motion.

But his entire body froze, his blood running ice-cold, when he noticed Y/N in the reflection of the bathroom mirror, standing in the doorway behind him.

Their eyes met through the glass before the archer twisted around, facing her head-on.

Her brow was furrowed as she stared at him, her head tilting to the side, the wheels in her mind visibly turning though her expression remained unreadable. She looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t quite know how to say it. She inhaled a breath, opening her mouth, but quickly snapped it shut — and then something different flickered across her features, an expression he hadn’t seen before.

Daryl waited for her to speak, to finally break the prolonged quietness that’d carried on.

But then she was suddenly crossing towards him.

He didn’t realize what was happening until Y/N’s lips crashed against his.

It was as though a dam had broken open — every fleeting feeling, every moment of suppressed longing coming to a head after dancing around one another for so long. At first, Daryl’s entire body went numb, his brain scrambling to figure out just what in the hell was actually happening. His breath caught in his throat as he stiffened instinctually, years of touch deprivation and self-consciousness clawing their way to the surface, leaving him paralyzed against her.

But when Y/N pulled back, breaking away from the kiss, he found himself craving her in the spaces she’d filled.

Her eyes were wide, boring into his, her gaze a mixture of shock and awe that he was certain mirrored his own — like even she couldn’t believe what she’d just done. She clung onto the collar of his shirt, the material balled in her fists.

Daryl’s chest heaved beneath her touch, his breathing syncing up with hers as they stared at one another, their noses only a few inches apart, each soaking the other in for what felt like the first time.

Something inside the archer fractured, right then and there. The wall he’d created inside his mind, the one designed to keep everyone at arm’s length, began to crumble. His guard fell to pieces, brick by brick, shattering at the very foundation he’d built it on.

And in its place…her.

Without any hesitation, Daryl slipped a hand behind Y/N’s neck and surged forward, closing the gap between them and bringing his lips to hers once more.

A soft gasp escaped her at first — one of surprise — the feel of it against his mouth sending a tingle down his spine before she returned the kiss with equal fervor. Her hands slid down his chest, snaking around his middle as she pressed herself against him with similar desperation.

He slid his hand up the back of her head, holding her in place as their lips parted, exploring each other with a deeper intensity. His fingers tangled throughout her hair, desperate to feel her in all of the ways he’d denied himself of, his other hand rising to gently cup the side of her face.

But when Y/N inhaled sharply, suddenly jerking back a fraction, Daryl’s eyes snapped open.

“Ow, fuck,” she hissed, her expression pinched.

“Shit,” the archer rasped, realizing then that his hand had brushed up against the cut on her cheek. “Ya alright?” he rumbled, pulling back further to get a better look.

Y/N let out a breathy laugh, her face lighting up in a way he’d never seen before. “Yeah,” she whispered hoarsely, her cheeks tinged pink, her lips red and slightly swollen.

Once again, Daryl found himself fighting to catch his breath.

He swallowed the thickness in his throat, carefully reaching forward and picking at a strand of hair that’d been swept out of place, tucking it behind her ear instead.

Y/N leaned into his palm, laying her hands against his chest, staring at him like she thought he’d hung the moon and painted the stars.

The look shifted into something deeper as she stepped back, ghosting her fingertips down each of his arms, his skin catching fire beneath her touch. She intertwined her hands around his calloused ones and began inching backward, slowly leading him out of the bathroom without another word.

The archer felt something stir deep inside him, a warmth settling in the pit of his stomach as she guided him towards the couch. He was entranced — like a man who’d been lost at sea for far too long, finally catching a glimpse of salvation from a lighthouse, beckoning him home.

And for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t afraid.

Daryl flushed at the memory.

She still had that same damn effect on him. It didn’t matter how much time passed, how many years went by, he’d never tire of her. She was, without a doubt, the best thing that ever happened to him.

He’d always felt out of place — even before the end. It was like everybody who’d ever lived was somehow born knowing the same song and dance — and yet there he’d been, stumbling along, fighting to catch up and fall in step with the rest of the world. It’d isolated him, made him feel weak and undeserving — like no matter how hard he tried, he’d never truly belong.

And now?

The only comfortable place his mind seemed to know was her.

Daryl fought back a wince, his entire body tensing up.

“Almost done,” Denise murmured as she continued stitching up the laceration on his back.

“Ya said that an hour ago,” the archer grumbled in response, grinding his teeth together.

“It definitely wasn’t an hour and you’re the one who refused the numbing cream, remember?” she countered evenly, her tone unwavering.

The archer merely huffed in response, fighting back a scowl as he gripped tightly onto the edge of the metal table he sat on top of. He ignored the feeling of Denise’s needle digging into his skin, closing up the knife wound he’d received back on the road, surveying the quieted house-turned-infirmary instead.

Rick was in the next room over, not having moved from Carl’s bedside since the survivors had taken Alexandria back from the dead. Glenn and Maggie were huddled together on the cot across the room while Michonne rocked Judith back and forth, exiting the infirmary with her a moment later. The others were gathered outside, recuperating after the long and harrowing fight that’d taken place mere hours ago.

And then there was Y/N — she sat on the floor beside his dangling legs, her head resting against the side of his knee, his vest laid out across her curled form. He could tell by her steady breathing and the way her head lolled every so often that she’d fallen asleep against him.

The entire community was running on little to no sleep, having fought through the night, taking on the herd that’d invaded their home — now, hundreds of bodies littered the streets, the wall that’d collapsed needed to be rebuilt, and those they’d lost during the attack needed to be buried.

Daryl glanced down when he heard a soft sigh, feeling his chest constrict as Y/N nestled closer.

She hadn’t strayed far since he’d returned and honestly, he wasn’t quite ready to be away from her either — especially after what happened on the road. Over the two days he was gone, he’d nearly lost his life on more than one occasion — and from what he'd heard, she’d nearly lost hers when the Wolves attacked.

But they were okay — she was okay — and that was what mattered.

Michonne reentered the infirmary a moment later, the exhaustion on her face mirroring his own. Judith, on the other hand, had fallen asleep in her arms, curled up against her chest, dark blonde wisps of hair sticking to her forehead.

“How’re you holding up?” Michonne asked softly as she approached the table, not wanting to wake Judith — or Y/N, for that matter.

“Jus’ a scratch, is all,” Daryl rumbled in response, peeking over his shoulder at Denise who remained focused on the wound.

Michonne nodded, rubbing small circles against Judith’s back. “I sent everyone home — Rosita and Heath are keeping watch where the wall came down. We’ll clear the dead once everyone gets some rest.”

“Alright,” Daryl rasped, a bone-deep tiredness beginning to seep in.

Before leaving, Michonne paused, looking down at Y/N’s sleeping form. When she glanced back up, her expression had shifted into something softer, something less tense. “She’s good for you,” she suddenly murmured, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You deserve that,” she whispered, reaching out and squeezing his hand, still latched around the edge of the table.

Daryl’s hand flexed beneath hers as he glanced down at the top of Y/N’s head — did he really deserve someone like her?

He’d spend the rest of his life wondering that.

Michonne patted the top of his hand before pulling away, disappearing into Carl’s room without another word, Judith still fast asleep against her.

“Alrighty,” Denise exhaled, drawing him back to the present. “You, my friend, are free to go.”

The archer grunted a gruff ‘thanks’ as she began cleaning up the supplies she’d used to stitch him up. He bit back a grimace as he pulled his shirt over his head, feeling the stitches stretch as he moved.

He reached forward then, gently ruffling the top of Y/N’s head, stirring her awake. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before craning her neck and looking up, her bleary gaze meeting his. “All done?” she murmured, her voice slightly croaky.

“Mhm,” he sounded, sliding off the table and offering his hand to her.

The corner of her mouth quirked up as she grabbed it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She swayed, fighting back a yawn, Daryl’s hand finding the small of her back and steadying her. Wordlessly, she held out his vest, which he slowly slipped back on, grinding his teeth together as a sharp jolt of pain shot across his shoulder.

Y/N’s brow furrowed as she watched him, her eyes narrowing — but before she could comment, Denise approached once more.

“Change the gauze in a couple of hours and take two of these for the pain,” she informed, holding out a small bundle of supplies, including fresh bandages and pills. “Doctor’s orders."

But Daryl waved her off. “Save ‘em,” he grumbled, carefully adjusting his vest.

He saw Y/N throw him a glance from the corner of his eye, though she didn’t protest — instead, she stepped forward and held her hand out.

Denise passed the supplies to her before lifting her glasses and rubbing one eye with the back of her hand, her fingertips stained red with blood. “Make sure he doesn’t do anything strenuous for a few days or he’ll tear the stitches,” she continued, speaking solely to Y/N as she set her glasses back in place.

Daryl huffed a breath. “M’ standin’ right here, ya know.”

Y/N nudged him in the ribcage, giving him a look that clearly translated to ‘be nice’.

Denise directed her attention back to the archer. “Don’t tear my stitches,” she reiterated emphatically before her expression eased. “Rest, relax, sleep — both of you.” She shot Y/N a pointed look before shooing them towards the front door, heading over to check in with Glenn and Maggie.

Y/N glanced over at Daryl once they were alone, her eyebrow quirking playfully. “I like this new side of Denise.”

The arched scoffed in response, flicking the hair from his face. “I liked it better when she was scared a’ me,” he grumbled as they fell in step, making their way out of the infirmary and back outside.

A laugh slipped past Y/N’s lips as they crossed over the porch. “Sounds about right,” she grinned, thoroughly amused.

“S’ true,” he shrugged his uninjured shoulder up as they made their way down the stairs and back onto the street.

“You know, you really aren’t that sc—”

Y/N stopped mid-sentence, her footsteps halting abruptly. Daryl faltered as well, glancing back at her, his brow knitting together. Before he could ask what was wrong, he realized what she was looking at.

In the light of day, the aftermath of the attack was startling. There were more bodies than he could count, rotted and decaying, bones torn through skin, blood spilling out onto the street, stark against the asphalt. The carnage was overwhelming, the reality of what they’d accomplished, as well as what they’d almost lost, suddenly settling in.

“We’ll fix this place up — make sure nothin’ like this ever happens again,” Daryl rasped, not entirely certain if he was trying to reassure her or himself.

Y/N’s expression turned solemn. “It’s not the dead I worry about,” she fixed him with a stare, her gaze flickering towards the wound on his back before she continued surveying the damage done to their community.

There wasn’t anything he could say that would make her feel better — not in a world as dark and void and meaningless as the one they lived in.

The only thing he could do was just be there.

Daryl reached for her, slipping his hand around hers and squeezing softly, drawing her back to him.

Although Y/N kept her eyes forward, he felt the tension leave her.

And then she squeezed back.

The archer huffed a breath, nestling the side of his thumb between his teeth.

Well, maybe the world wasn’t entirely meaningless.

Daryl stood still beneath the shower head, warm water washing over his body.

But he couldn’t focus on that — all he could focus on was Y/N, standing behind him, her arms wrapped around his middle, her bare chest pressed against his back. He closed his eyes, committing the feeling to memory — her heart steadily pounding against him, her cheek resting against his shoulder as water continued to cascade down their bodies.

She pulled back slightly, gently pressing her lips against one of the scars on his back.

Daryl felt a chill run down his spine despite the steam around him, fighting back the instinctual urge to stiffen — and as she moved to the next scar and the next, softly kissing each one, he couldn’t help but melt beneath her touch.

He turned then, feeling the tips of his ear redden at the sight of her before he quickly averted his gaze.

Y/N laughed, soft and sweet, reaching towards him and brushing the hair from his face.

Daryl caught her hand with his own, pressing her palm flat against the curve of his jaw. The cut on her cheek had healed, leaving only a faint, thin line below her eye. His own knife wound was still fresh, but in time, would heal as well.

He brought his hand up and gently brushed his thumb across the length of the mark before tilting her head back, bringing his lips to hers.

He wasn’t sure where the sudden boldness came from — still, Y/N returned the kiss, her arms snaking around his neck, his around her waist.

It wasn’t until the water began to run cold that Daryl, begrudgingly, turned the shower off.

They moved about in comfortable silence — drying off, changing into clean clothes, completing eerily normal and mundane tasks that had the archer wondering if he’d somehow transported into an alternate reality without realizing it.

But the blood and muck that’d washed off their bodies and collected at the bottom of the tub reminded him otherwise.

It’d taken three whole days to clear Alexandria of all the walkers that’d infiltrated their walls. Now, they could start rebuilding, reinforcing, doing whatever they needed to do to make sure an attack like that never happened again.

Daryl climbed into the bed he shared with Y/N, having moved up from the basement and into her room after that first night they’d spent together. He winced as he rotated his shoulder — despite Denise’s instructions to limit arduous activity, he’d worked the past three days from sun up to sun down in removing all the bodies from within the gates.

Y/N had tried to get him to take it easy, but he hadn’t — that just wasn’t in his nature.

She crawled into bed after him, sighing softly as she settled by his side, sitting with her legs crossed beneath her. She held her hand out towards him and in her palm, two pills — he recognized them as the ones Denise had given her.

Daryl huffed a breath.

“Don’t make me say ‘please’,” she warned, raising her brow expectantly.

The archer fought back the urge to roll his eyes but took the pills anyway, popping them into his mouth and washing them down with the bottle of water he’d left by the bedside. Y/N shot him a cheeky grin as she laid down, curling onto her side, facing away from him.

He reached over, wrapping an arm around her middle and dragging her towards him, eliciting a surprised laugh from her. She nestled closer, her back pressed against his chest, one hand clasped around his forearm, drawing absent circles against his skin with her thumb.

Daryl felt himself fading, slipping into unconsciousness after a long, tiring day of survival.

But just before the world darkened entirely, a whisper broke through the quiet.

“I love you.”

The archer’s eyes snapped open. Part of him wondered if Y/N was sleep-talking. An even bigger part of him figured he’d imagined it because there was no way — no way in hell — she could’ve consciously and deliberately said that to him.

But then she was shifting, rolling onto her back and looking up at him.

He searched her gaze for something, anything — a punchline, an explanation, a ‘hah, fooled ya!’ — that would explain what in the fuck he’d just heard.

Except that didn’t happen.

Instead, Y/N slowly nodded, like she was finally coming to terms with her own blatantly impromptu confession. “Yeah, I-I do — I —” she fumbled slightly in her admittance before steadying. “I love you,” she murmured, blinking up at him.

Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat, his mind screaming at him to say something instead of just staring at her like he’d seen a ghost. He could feel the words toying at the tip of his tongue — he wanted to say it, he did, because…well, of course. Of course, he wanted to. But it was like his body was physically rejecting a response.

Y/N patiently watched him struggle, giving him a second to get his shit together, a small, knowing smile playing at her lips.

The archer pushed up onto his elbow, clearing his throat, his cheeks burning red. “I, uh,” he grumbled, shaking his head slightly. “Y-Yeah, I —” he faltered, clearly struggling. But when his baffled gaze met her kind one, almost instantly, his wall of insecurity diminished. “Yeah,” the single word came out resolute and sure, everything he needed her to hear.

Y/N’s smile grew, stretching across her face, bright enough to light the sky on fire. “Yeah?” she asked softly, reading between the lines.

Daryl nodded once. “Yeah,” he rasped thickly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world — because it was.

He’d felt that way since the day he met her, even if he hadn’t known it.

She reached up, twisting her fingers in his hair and bringing his face down to meet hers, pressing a gentle kiss against his lips.

Then she was curling onto her other side so they laid chest to chest, her head tucked beneath his chin as she snuggled closer, his arms wrapping around her instinctually.

Daryl wasn’t sure how long they laid like that, limbs weaved around one another like coiled rope. But when her breathing evened out, he pulled back and snuck a glance, tracing every inch of her face as though the first time and the last. He brought his hand to her face, carefully brushing back the hair that’d swept over her features before leaning in and pressing a kiss against her forehead.

Then sleep came for him as well.

Daryl dropped his hand back into his lap, drawing his legs to his chest.

Being with Y/N was effortless — as easy as breathing. It came, somewhat alarmingly, natural to him. He’d never pictured himself with anyone ever. Before the end, before her, he’d been content to sit on the sidelines and watch all the relationships around him undoubtedly burn — it was all he’d ever known, it was all he’d ever seen.

But then she came along and flipped his entire world upside down.

A love that came without warning.

“Let’s get this shit loaded up — looks like it’s gonna rain soon,” Daryl rumbled, peering up at the darkening sky, noticing a cluster of bulbous clouds rolling in.

Y/N tilted her head back, following his gaze before humming a breath. “I don’t know — the wind’s blowing East. It might just miss us,” she remarked, catching the archer’s eye, a mischievous look flashing across her features. “Wanna make a bet?”

Daryl scoffed a breath in response, shutting the car trunk filled with scavenged supplies and adjusting the strap of the rifle slung across his chest — he was still getting used to the weapon. It felt unfamiliar in comparison to the weight of his crossbow. The reminder of his stolen weapon sent a flush of anger through his veins. He’d find those assholes someday and get it back, that was for damn sure.

“Come on,” Y/N grinned, drawing him back as she hefted another box over to him, dropping it onto the ground with a huff. “How about this? If it rains…I’ll take your watch shift tonight with Elizabeth.”

The archer quirked a brow, suddenly intrigued. Elizabeth was one of the original members of Alexandria — and she was…chatty. “Fine,” he nodded, opening the car door and lobbing the box she’d brought over onto the backseat. “She’s always yappin’ ‘bout books an’ shit I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout. Damn irritatin’ sometimes,” he grumbled.

Y/N laughed at his aggravation, turning to pick up another box. “I like her,” she shrugged, making her way towards him.

Daryl huffed a breath, waving her off. “Alright an’ if it doesn’t rain? What’d ya want?” he questioned, taking the box from her hands and sliding it into the car.

Before she had the chance to respond, Rick suddenly appeared, pushing through the front doors of the high school they’d been scavenging — it’d been turned into a FEMA evacuation center right at the beginning of the end. It’d somehow, miraculously, been left untouched — the doors and windows had been barred and chained, but luckily they’d had the tools needed to break in.

It’d been a little over a month since Alexandria had been overrun with the dead — the wall had been rebuilt and fortified, but the survivors had been hesitant to venture outside the gates after what happened the last time. Regardless, supplies were dwindling and a run had to be made.

“How’s it comin’ along out here?” Rick called as he jogged down the front steps and into the parking lot.

“Filled up the trunk pretty good — gonna need another car or two jus’ ta’ fit the rest a’ this shit,” Daryl remarked as the sheriff approached, motioning to the rest of the unpacked boxes lying around.

Rick came to a stop in front of them, one hand resting on top of the handle of his pistol strapped around his waist. “This is good — this is real good,” a rare smile spread across his face, so unlike the usual tension in his features.

“Tara’s finishing up around back — she’s grabbing the rest of the stuff from the greenhouse,” Y/N relayed to Rick, sharing a hopeful look with the archer. “We’ve got enough stuff to last us, I don’t know, at least another couple of months — that’ll be enough time to get some crops growing, maybe even a garden or two.”

Rick huffed a laugh in disbelief, shaking his head. “Who would’a thought,” he mused to himself before taking a breath. “Alright, I’m gonna grab a few last things inside an’ then we’ll lock up — come back tomorrow with a couple a’ cars an’ clean this place out.”

The sheriff left without another word, leaving Daryl and Y/N alone once again.

He began rearranging the boxes in the backseat, making sure there was enough room for two people to sit there on the way back home.

“A date,” Y/N suddenly spoke, catching him off guard.

Daryl straightened, turning back around to look at her, his brow knitting together. “Huh?”

The corner of Y/N’s mouth quirked up as she took a step towards him. “If I win, if it doesn’t rain today…I want you to take me on a date.”

The archer tilted his head to the side, trying to distinguish if she was joking or not. “Ya serious?”

“Yeah,” Y/N nodded, a sort of awkward laugh slipping past her lips. “I know it’s stupid — and given the way you’re looking at me right now, I know you’re thinking the same thing,” she laughed again as he quickly erased the skepticism from his expression. “But that’s —” she shrugged a shoulder up, “— that’s what I want.”

Daryl scratched the side of his head, flicking the hair from his face as he studied her, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the car. “That really what ya want?”

“Mhm,” she sounded. “And it doesn’t have to be anything special — just us and, I don’t know…maybe Aaron can whip up some of his famous spaghetti,” a soft smile grew on her face as she looked at him. “I, uh — I just — I want to do this right, you know?” her expression turned earnest. “I want those moments with you, Daryl.”

The archer felt a swell of warmth spread throughout him as he looked at her, feeling his resolve give way. “Alright,” he managed to rasp, his throat tight with emotion.

“Alright,” Y/N reiterated with a nod, sticking her hand out, a playful look in her eye.

Daryl snorted a laugh as he reached out and grasped her hand with his own, shaking once to seal the deal.

Y/N shot him a cheeky grin as she pulled from his grip. “We should —”

“Guys?” Tara’s voice suddenly sounded, drawing their attention.

Daryl knew as he pushed off the car, as he turned around that something was very wrong — he could hear it in her tone.

It took a moment for him to fully register the scene before him — a wide-eyed Tara just a few feet away, standing straight as an arrow, holding her hands up near her head.

Then he spotted a man.

The stranger stood just behind Tara, one arm wrapped around her neck, the other holding a gun, the barrel pressed against her temple. He was young, maybe early twenties, though it was hard to tell with all of the blood coating his skin. He peered over Tara’s shoulder, his frantic gaze bouncing wildly back and forth between the archer and Y/N.

Daryl’s protective instinct kicked in as he took a step forward, drawing the man’s attention, keeping Y/N out of his line of fire. His hand automatically reached for the rifle strapped around him but his movements stilled when the man’s eyes widened, his arm tightening around Tara’s neck.

“Hey, take it easy,” Daryl held out his hands in front of him.

“Move,” the man growled, jerking his head to the side. “Away from the car.”

Daryl felt Y/N grab a fistful of material from his shirt, slowly pulling him back as the man moved towards them, keeping Tara in front of him to conceal his body.

A tense standoff of sorts stretched on as they maneuvered around, the man never taking his eyes off of Daryl. When the stranger made it to the driver’s side of the car, he unwound his arm from around Tara’s neck, using it to open the door instead — though his finger remained twitching above the trigger. Once the door was opened, he faltered, realizing he’d lose the coverage of Tara’s body if he tried to get inside.

“Take it,” Y/N suddenly spoke, stepping out from behind Daryl with her hands near her head, drawing the man’s attention.

The archer shot her a sharp glance. “Y/N —”

“Take the car, take the supplies, take whatever you need,” she continued calmly, ignoring Daryl’s growled protest. “Just let her go, okay? No one’s here to hurt you.”

The stranger’s expression shifted, the animalistic look on his face shifting into something that resembled more of a quiet desperation than anything else. “I —“ he shook his head quickly, shifting back and forth. “I just need — I just need to go — I need to go.”

Y/N took another step forward, the side of her arm brushing against Daryl’s. “Okay,” she nodded, exhaling a breath. “That’s okay — just let our friend go and —”

Her sentence was interrupted by the front door of the school swinging open.

Daryl whipped his head around, feeling his stomach drop when he spotted Rick walking out with a stack of boxes — but when the sheriff noticed the standoff happening just down the steps, the boxes came crashing down, falling out of his hands, and instead…he grabbed his pistol.

It was as though everything happened in slow motion.

The stranger’s expression twisted as his sights set in on Rick — he swung the barrel of his gun away from Tara, who instantly dropped to the ground as the man pointed the weapon up the steps, and then…

A barrage of gunfire sounded as Rick and the man began shooting at one another in rapid succession. The sheriff used the front door as a shield, attempting to fire from around the frame, the awkward angle throwing off his aim. The stranger, on the other hand, fired away in no particular direction — his aim was erratic and panicked as he tried using the car door as coverage.

When a bullet flew past the side of Daryl’s head, he dove towards Y/N. He knocked her off her feet and onto the pavement, attempting to take cover from the shootout. The archer flipped onto his back, fumbling for his rifle before finally getting a grip and pointing it at the man.

But before he could take a shot, the stranger threw himself into the car, slamming the door shut, bullets from Rick’s pistol embedding into the metal. He peeled recklessly out of the parking lot, still firing from out of the opened window as he made his getaway.

Despite one of the back tires exploding after getting hit with a stray bullet, the stranger kept driving, disappearing onto the main road and out of sight, leaving a wake of destruction in his path.

“What the fuck?” Tara called from where she’d taken cover.

“Is everybody alright?” Rick yelled back, coming out from behind the door and running down the steps.

Daryl twisted onto his side, looking over at Y/N. “Hey, ya alright?”

“Y-Yeah,” she murmured shakily, pushing up onto her hands and knees. “I’m okay.”

The archer let out a sigh of relief, climbing to his feet and surveying the damage done around them as Rick appeared at his side.

“What an asshole,” Tara swore, coming to a stand as her eyes bounced between Rick, Daryl, and Y/N. “Seriously, what kind of —”

Daryl looked over at her, waiting to hear the rest — but that was when he noticed her staring at something just behind him, the horrified expression on her face filling him with a vast and all-consuming sense of dread.

The archer spun around.

And that was when he saw her.

Y/N stood a few feet away, swaying unsteadily, her hand pressed tightly against the center of her stomach. Her head was lowered, bowed to her chest as she slowly pulled her trembling hand away, revealing a stark redness pooling from her midsection, staining the front of her shirt. She looked up then, her eyes meeting his, the shock in her gaze surely mirroring his own.

“No,” Daryl whispered, the word sounding strangled in his throat as Y/N’s knees suddenly began to give out. “No!” he roared, rushing forward and grabbing onto her before she could collapse.

His arms slipped around her middle before he carefully lowered her onto the ground, her head drooping down against his shoulder. His heart pounded so violently against his ribcage, part of him wondered if it was giving out on him entirely — maybe it was. Maybe this was what dying felt like. Maybe this was what it felt like to have your soul ripped straight out of your body.

Daryl cradled the back of Y/N’s head with one hand as he laid her down flat against the pavement, her eyes wide and unseeing, staring straight up at the sky. “Hey, hey, look a’ me, jus’ look a’ me,” he urged, brushing the hair back from her face, ignoring the blood now staining his hands — her blood.

“I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay,” she mumbled, repeating it over and over again as though she could will it to be true — though her skin grew more ashen with each minute that slipped by.

Rick suddenly kneeled on the opposite side of Y/N, taking a piece of cloth and holding it against the wound. “Keep pressure on it,” he instructed Daryl and although he tried to conceal it, the archer could hear the way his voice wavered. “You jus’ hold on, Y/N, understand? We’re gonna get you outta here,” he promised, reaching down and squeezing one of her hands before disappearing.

Daryl watched him leave, dragging a teary-eyed, slack-jawed Tara along with him as they began frantically searching the abandoned parking lot for any working vehicles — it was their only chance at getting her back to Alexandria.

And if they didn’t…

No.

No, he couldn’t go there.

Instead, he pressed the cloth against the gunshot wound, attempting to stall the blood flow, the pressure eliciting a pained whimper from Y/N that almost made the contents of his stomach reappear. “I got ya, Y/N, I got ya,” he rasped, grabbing her limp hand with his own and intertwining their fingers, holding his other hand firmly against her stomach.

His words seemed to bring her back to him, her hollow gaze shifting into one of panic — like she only just realized what was happening. Her features crumpled, a flash of fear skirting across her face as the shock began to wear off. “Am — am I dying?” she managed to choke out, her eyes filling with unshed tears as she looked up at him.

“No,” he shook his head resolutely, feeling moisture build in the corners of his own eyes. “No, ya ain’t goin’ nowhere, ya hear me?” his grip tightened around her hand — like his touch alone could keep her there with him. “We’re gonna get ya back ta’ Alexandria an’ — an’ get ya patched up, good as new, alright? Ya jus’ gotta hang on for me, girl.”

Y/N’s bottom lip quivered as a tear snaked down the side of her face. “I-I don’t want to leave you,” she whispered, a sob hitching in her throat.

“Hey, it’s gonna — ya gonna — jus’ — Rick!” Daryl suddenly bellowed, sitting back on his haunches and desperately scanning the area for any sign of him or Tara. He spotted them at the opposite end of the parking lot, running from car to car, searching for keys or at least a way to jumpstart one of the abandoned vehicles.

But luck was not seeming to be on their side.

Daryl let out a vicious string of curses before focusing back on Y/N. He’d never felt so helpless in his entire life — and God, if he could, he’d take her place in a second.

She was fading — fading so rapidly it made him dizzy. Her skin was cold to the touch, her lips tinged a disturbing shade of blue, her eyes lacking the warmth he was so used to seeing. He felt a swell of emotion rise in his throat, threatening to consume him, but he shoved it down.

“Hey, y-you were right,” she murmured weakly, the corner of her mouth twitching up as she tilted her head to look up at the sky once more. “I think it’s gonna rain.”

Daryl felt a tear spill down his cheek as he followed her eye line, the previously blue sky now blanketed with thick, dark clouds. He huffed a humorless laugh, their conversation from a few minutes earlier ringing through his mind, somehow seeming like an entire lifetime ago. “Guess that means ya — ya gotta take watch tonight, right?” he rasped despondently, keeping his gaze towards the sky.

He stilled when he was met with nothing but a deafening silence.

He felt his stomach roll as he squeezed his eyes shut, afraid of what he'd see if he looked down. “Y/N?” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

When she didn’t respond, Daryl knew.

She was gone.

His girl was gone.

And his entire world came crashing down around him.

Daryl forced his eyes open.

His body went numb at the sight of her, his mind refusing to accept the image before him — empty eyes, grey flesh, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her hand slipped from his grasp then, dropping onto the pavement beside her unmoving form as she continued staring vacantly up at the sky.

His brain couldn’t process what was happening — where he was, what he was doing, why he was there. It felt like a nightmare — a reality that wasn’t quite reality, warped and desolate and consuming him whole. The only tangible thing he felt was a sharp, physical pain in the center of his chest, his breaths short and hitched, causing black spots to dance in his vision.

Over the blood rushing to his ears, he could just barely make out the sound of a car engine, the noise muted and dull as it approached…

But it was too late.

They were too late.

Daryl reached for her hesitantly, hands trembling as he wound his arms beneath her back and carefully scooped her up off the ground, falling back slightly as he pulled her body across his lap. When her head lolled listlessly to the side, he brought his hand up, brushing his bloodstained fingers through her hair before cradling the back of her head, pressing his cheek against hers.

“Ya said —” he squeezed his eyes shut, rocking back and forth as his grip around her lifeless body tightened. “Ya said ya were okay,” he choked out brokenly, his own shock slowly wearing off as something deep inside his soul fractured.

Then he broke.

And the sky opened up and wept alongside him.

The sound of barking drew Daryl back to reality.

He glanced over his shoulder, quickly blinking away the tears that’d formed, spotting Dog trotting towards him. The German Shepard’s tongue hung lazily out of his mouth, his easy pace picking up the closer he neared, letting out another short bark.

Daryl rumbled a laugh as Dog came to a halt at his side, plopping down next to him. “Hey, boy,” he rasped softly, scratching behind his dog’s ear and earning a sloppy lick in return He wiped away the moisture from his cheek as the canine laid down beside him with a huff. “Good, Dog.”

The archer ran his fingers through his sleek fur, feeling his throat tighten. When he’d found the German Shepard a few years back, he’d remembered the conversation with Y/N from back at the prison — and it’d only felt right to name him ‘Dog’.

It’s what she would’ve wanted — and somehow, it made him feel just a little bit closer to her.

“Man, she would’a loved ya,” he whispered thickly, sighing a long and heavy breath.

Daryl looked forward once more, studying the small gravestone in front of him — her gravestone.

For a long time, he stayed away. He hadn't been able to go near where she'd been laid to rest, he just couldn’t — it was too fucking painful, like part of himself had been buried right along with her. But over time, the grief became easier to manage — it never went away, it'd never go away — but he found a way to exist alongside it.

Now, he found a strange sort of peace here.

It’d been years since he’d lost her — she’d been gone for longer than he’d known her. It was hard to keep track of time these days, they seemed to come and go without rhyme or reason. So much had happened since that day — the war against the Saviors, the looming threat of the Whisperers, losing friends, family, Rick…

Time seemed to move differently after losing the people loved most.

After that day at the high school, Daryl had tried to find the man responsible for what happened to Y/N — he’d gone back to the high school, wild and unhinged in his grief, hellbent on retracing their steps and tracking down the stranger. He’d needed revenge, bloodshed, he’d needed the man to know what he’d done, who he’d taken from the world.

Despite the improbability, the archer had no trouble finding him.

The back tire that had been blown out during the exchange of gunfire had sent the car careening down an embankment and into a large tree less than a mile from the school. One of the branches had broken through the windshield and punctured the man’s chest, most likely killing him on impact.

He’d reanimated still strapped in the driver’s seat.

Daryl left him that way.

It wasn’t the ending he’d hoped for, but maybe it was the ending he deserved.

He reached down, absently stroking the top of Dog’s head, and inhaled a deep breath.

Not a single day went by without the thought of her.

She came and went — like a flash of light or the beat of a heart. Daryl had barely had any time to hold onto her before she was gone — and he would’ve held her so much tighter had he known it’d be the last chance he’d have.

Some people were just too bright to stay, too good for what the world had become — at least that’s what he told himself on the really dark days.

The archer closed his eyes, imagining her at his side — sometimes if he sat like that for long enough, he could almost hear her voice, her laugh, he could almost feel her warmth, her touch — and it was like she was still there, sitting right beside him.

It wasn’t the same, but it was enough — at least until he could be with her once more.

Daryl opened his eyes, peering up at the vast night sky, and released the breath he’d been holding.

Someday, he’d find his way home again.

Fin.

A/N: ...hi...how y'all doin'? lol

So yeah, this is a lot to unpack. If you've made it to the very end, THANK YOU! I know this was a super-dee-duper-long oneshot but hopefully (heartbreak and all) it was worth it.

Most of this story was purely self-indulgent - I mean, come on, who doesn't want this kind of love? But aside from that, I also wanted to write a relationship for Daryl that felt authentic and true to his character (*cough cough* definitely not throwing shade at 10.18...nope...not at all...lol)

What also made this story super fun was the fact that I was able to incorporate other characters from over the course of the series! (Even though he's only in it for .2 seconds, Abraham is probably my personal favorite lol I'd never written for him before, and damn, is it fun!)

I also like the little 'twist' at the end when we realize that in the present parts of the story, he's been hanging out at the reader's grave the entire time, reminiscing. Ow, that hurts my heart.

After writing this for months, I was the last person who wanted to see the story end like this. I honestly grew super attached to this relationship and part of me contemplated ending it on more of a 'happy' note...or as 'happy' as you can get with a show like this one. But this was the ending I'd envisioned from the beginning. We got to experience a Daryl x Reader relationship from the very start to the very end. No open-ended questions, no 'what ifs'.

And I think that's sorta beautiful.

P.S. Feedback is incredibly important. I write for my own happiness, but I also write for YOU. So don’t be afraid to shoot me an ask or leave a comment with your thoughts! It truly motivates me and helps move along the writing process. Also, please consider donating to my Tip Jar. Every little bit helps!

P.S.S. I can no longer tag people on this account, so my tag list has been transferred to my side blog @crossbowking2. If you'd like to be added/removed, please let me know!

[mrskurono]

vigilante!Aizawa Shouta x fem!Reader a/n: repost from my wattpad + modified to be an x reader word count: 1.8k tags: fem!Reader, lots of blood, wounded Aizawa, language, eludes to pre U.A. Aizawa character(s): Aizawa Shouta (bnha) synopsis: Part Two Here - Shouta knows there's always a safe place to come back to in you. No matter what.

Creak.

Eyes shooting open the moment that sound hit your ears was more than enough to nab you from your shallow sleep. That window never opened without the your knowledge. Swinging your arm to toss the blanket off in an attempt to foil any approaching burglar who was making the mistake of crawling into your apartment for an easy target.

Sprung from bed you didn't even need to charge the intruder when the shadowy figure stumbled over the wad of blankets they got caught up in. Down they went but much to your disbelief this wasn't a petty criminal thinking a second story fire exit was an easy pilfer.

"Shouta-!" your friend's name barely has time to drop from your lips. Of course he's the only idiot to think crawling through a window in the early morning hours was a good idea. Clicking on the bedside lamp about to scold the newly licensed pro hero is stomped out when your weary eyes spot the crimson smears of blood on both the carpet and blanket under him. Struggling now he was hardly about to pull off of himself to address your voice. Worry crossed you in a second, "Shouta what happened?! Where were you-"

"The bag!" The blood on his hands becoming clear it's from the dribbling gnash above his right eyebrow. This rate you couldn't see in such shit light if his eye is bleeding or just shut to keep the river of blood from seeping into his eyesight.

"Bag?! What bag?!" your words absolutely no consequence to him as he's grappled with the blanket only to grab at his wounded face and curl in on himself with a drawn out groan. You dropped down to your knees, rabid to pull him up and off the floor, "No! No you need a doctor! Get up- Get up I'm taking you-"

"The bag I gave you last week!" Aizawa snapped his head in your direction. Blood from this never ending cut splattered onto your arm and he accidentally smeared it when he pushed your help away, "Now! y/n the bag!"

Frantic you knew of the bag he spoke of. But it was moronic to fetch whatever was in his diddy bag. You knew better to argue in a moment like this. Seeing if you wanted him to go to the doctor in the long run, then just humoring this small demand was the quickest way to get him the help he really needed.

When you unearthed the mysterious bag he'd entrusted you with a week earlier after getting his hero license. You hadn't even gotten a chance to snoop around to see what was in it. Now though it was a bevy of small items you had no idea about as Aizawa tore it from your grasp. Even before you were even able to kneel down to him for real.

Furious he was really pulling this shit on you. You went to put a stop to this but failed as he shoved what is clearly a box of unopened steri strips and gauze into your hands from the depths of the bag.

"Help-" The dark haired man hardly able to see at this point looked up at you with blood streaming down both his eyes now. One of them still closed tight for the fear of the worst sinking into your gut. As the other was pooling with blood around his tear duct the longer this gnash oozed unstaunched. There was no time. And this man was enough of an idiot to think he could prep for this kind of wound care before hand. Without telling you either. You bit down on your cheek furry swirling with fear inside you. There was no choice but to fix this here and now.

A well packed first aid pack. Left you astonished with the amount of things he'd stuffed into a small travel sized toiletries bag. Bandages. Sterile gauze of every size. Thousands of self tightening steri strips. Alcohol soaked wipes and even a small amount of iodine. Like this idiot packed like he really expected his you to perform minor emergency surgeries at a whim. He wasn't entirely wrong though.

Aizawa was now at least wiped of the blood he smudge already on your things. Night shirt and legs included. You felt him tense and wince under your gentle attention when you scrubbed the alcohol soaked pad into his gnash for good measure. Only saved for the long line of steri strips. You had to throw half of them out as they'd get too much fresh blood on them and lose their stickiness. Struggling with shaking hands this would have been easier had you expected it and not been waken with such an emergency in the middle of the night.

Finally, the bleeding stopped. Examined for any other open wounds on his face. You let out a sigh when there couldn't be anymore seen visibly. That didn't count the ones that might be bodily and his black suit was hiding it in the piss poor lighting but you would have to trust him when he said that was the only bad one. The eye he'd kept closed though. Now that was in question.

"There's saline in the pack...and an eye washing kit," he muttered, now a least a little more coherent. Since the adrenaline to make it over to the one person he trusted wore off meant more lucid thoughts but of course more aches to his blustered fight.

From within the bag you produced his ideal brand of eye drops and said little eye washing cup. With them in hand, you didn't give them right away to him. Instead withholding them and forcing the frumpy man to look at you directly, "...Shouta, what the fuck happened?"

He dropped the gaze from his one good eye. No answer as he took the items in question a little forcibly from you. Sat down on the floor at the foot of your bed like the couple of kids you both use to be. Everything different now with him dawned in official hero gear. And the grievous wounds to go with a good hero.

"No," you shook your head.

"No what," He mumbled, head tossed back with the little silver couplet over his eye. Swishing the saline bath over his eye. At this point he wasn't even sure what was left of his strength to fight with you over any of this.

"No this!" you gestured wildly to the entirety of the situation. One week into pro hero work and here he was barging in bleeding from his head and god knows his eye, "This! This is not going to happen!"

Aizawa tilted his head back down. Dropping the now bloody murky saline water from his eye. Couple more droplets in his eye and the liquid ran out from the corners of his blood shot eyes in a nasty orange diluted mix. Finally he let his black eyes come to look at you across from him on the floor still covered in blood, "Please. Check them."

You sighed. Just like him to ignore the major elephant in the room. Leaning in your warm palm hesitated before pressing fully against his cold blood streaked and scruffy cheek. Careful you pulled his bottom eyelid down with a ginger thumb and search the average bloodshot cornea for anything out of the ordinary. It appeared alright. But now you wondered if he could see.

"What do you see?" you harbored more of a demand as you lean in closer checking the eye in question.

Silent for a moment. You nearing to be pissed he won't answer even that stupid question. Aizawa finally does but his voice is low and groggy, "...a very pissed off woman."

"Great, you still have 20/20 vision," Snarky as you wanted to be. Even when you let up on pulling his eyelid down and sat back. You can't remove your hand from his cheek right away. Lingering as you swiped your thumb over a stray smudge of blood on his pale complexion. Nothing short of a sigh left your lips and you shook your head, "Don't do this...don't put yourself through this. We both know you need to take that teaching job."

"What kind of teacher has no field experience?" Aizawa's black brows furrow, "How can I step into a classroom expecting to help create the next generation of hero's when I'd have no experience to back it."

"You have experience! You are a hero! Shouta getting the shit beat out of you isn't going to make you a better teacher!" This is too much. As desperately as you wanted to stave them off, the tears start to form. Watching him with watering eyes. Give nothing more than that expressionless retort to everything you kept saying. It's hard to control the quiver to your lip seeing him smeared in his own blood on your own bedroom floor at the wee hours of the morning.

"...it's not all my own blood," Aizawa pardon a little dry joke to lighten the mood, "I landed a few good hits, just so happened they had more friends than intended."

Chewing your bottom lip to stop it from full blown quaking and letting the tears fall. You removed your hand from his cheek only to swat him in the temple for good measure, "You fucking idiot."

So little did you ever get that upset. Which was understandable considering he didn't even offer to tell his friend what was in the bag or the responsibilities he needed you to take on in the heat of the moment. It was a lot. And he understood that of someone who didn't even want to become a pro hero in the first place. Aizawa dropped his weary gaze as you got back to your feet, "...I'm sorry."

Surprised to hear the man apologize without a proper haranguing. You stopped and look down at him sitting at your feet with his sullen head hung low. No need to be a pro hero when it was going to be this idiot that killed you. Sighing, you stepped closer and pulled his face into your stomach for a tight hug. Wrapping your arms around his shoulders and coddling his face gently to your body, "...we will talk about this tomorrow. As for now, shut up and get in bed. Not another word."

Aizawa raised his arms around your waist. How a hug did feel good as all the weariness of his good deeds seeped into his bones. All to top off the ache in his temple where you scrubbed his wound and the dry tiredness of his eyes. He'd certainly over used his quirk and there was little fight to give you after all he'd given most of it to the villains.

Tightening his hug around your waist just when your hands found their way into that mop of black waves. Aizawa pressed his face into you just to focus on not passing out here on the ground, "...alright...and...I'll think about the teaching position."