#daryl dixon the Commonwealth

[ddaz3d-and-cc0nfused]

hear me out!

single parent reader x commonwealth daryl

i feel like this can be very very very cute

༉‧₊˚. 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 || 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐱𝐨𝐧

― pairing: daryl dixon x plus size!reader

― era: season 11

― summary: even though you've been a long-time resident at the commonwealth, you

― warnings: mentions of death, dead baby daddies, lowkey trust issues but not really.

― wc: 874

⋆ a/n: it's the way i had begun to write this as soon as it hit my inbox. anon are you a genius or what? thank you so much for giving me this idea, you're literally the best!

masterlist | AO3

Being pregnant and on the road wasn’t easy, and back when you had no idea whether you would have a safe place to give birth made it even worse. You had made it this far only to allow a night of desperation and lust to practically doom you. Figuring out that you were pregnant was already a big enough hit to take, but him dying only days after made it even bigger. Your old group was quick to shed you, and you knew that they considered you dead weight, someone that would only drag them down. So, you were on your own until you were discovered by the Commonwealth and their soldiers.

At first it was intimidating, scary even as they put you through trials and tribulations for you to be granted residency, but you seemed to have passed all their tests. You were set up with an apartment, one with just enough room for you and your baby, and when your water had broken, you were no longer worried about the if’s, and’s, or but’s, just about the arrival of your baby girl, who was healthy thanks to the medications and accommodations the Commonwealth had made for you.

The only downside about the place was that it was a copy and paste of the old world, you were now stressed about work and money, but it wasn’t as bad as back then, though. From what you had told them, they placed you right in the bakery, and you couldn’t have been happier.

That meant that you oversaw the new employees, and the newest one, Carol, was very sweet. She felt like a mother to you, and you were quick to entrust her in babysitting Victoria sometimes. And that’s when you met him. Daryl Dixon. The rough and tough newcomer that was quick to be employed under the military, and you couldn’t help but take interest in him, especially when he was around his kids, but you were quick to learn that they were in fact his best friend’s that passed away. It was a noble thing to do, to take on the responsibility of children in a time like this. Many others were quick to forget about what was going on outside the walls once homes, electricity, and food were involved. But you weren’t, you never did.

You wanted to get to know him, but you couldn’t help but shy away when he would visit Carol, only biding him a quiet ‘Hello’ before running off to the back where you would mentally kick yourself for acting like a teenager. You were a grown woman. A mother. So why were you acting like this? Maybe it was because the first time you trusted a man, he got you pregnant and then died, or maybe you were nervous about sharing your life with someone new. It had just been you and Victoria for the past three years, and you didn’t want to risk bringing Daryl into your life and something happening to him or to your relationship. You didn’t want to risk disappointing her.

You just hadn’t expected him to approach you.

It was like you were hiding behind a wall of shyness, keeping him at arm’s length. You were able to keep up the guise of being busy with work until you couldn’t anymore.

You were sitting on a picnic blanket in the park, basking in the warmth of a new morning, your little girl playing with her dolls mindlessly across from you, and you couldn’t help but smile at her. Sometimes she looked just like her father, as if it was like looking into a mirror.

“G’mornin’.” A rough voice greeted you.

You stuttered on your words, struggling to keep your beating heart quiet, and the butterflies out of your stomach.

“Morning.” You said nervously.

“What are you doing here?” You asked dumbly. He scratched the back of his neck, “The kids- they uh… wanted to try out the new slides.” You nodded to yourself. Obviously, he was here because he had kids too idiot. “Victoria isn’t old enough to enjoy slides sadly.” You joked, watching as the corner of his mouth twitched up into a grin. “How does it feel being official?” This was your piss poor attempt at making small talk, but it didn’t seem to bother him. “I don’ feel official.” His playful words made you smile. You had half the mind to finally stand up, picking your daughter up. You were surprised she didn’t whine, but it seemed as though she was heavily distracted by the barbie doll in her hands.

“Well, I think your uniform looks nice on you.” The compliment caught the older man off guard, the tips of his ears reddening as well as his cheeks. “It suits you.” You added. “Thanks. Ya look… ya look nice too.” You were wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, but you looked gorgeous to him. “Thank you.” You said quietly.

“I’m going to sound totally lame, but do you want to go on a walk? To get to know you better… maybe?” There was a shy smile on your face, and despite the apprehension deep within your soul, you were surprised to hear him say, “Ya, I’d like that.”

ೃ⁀➷ my lovely taglist!: @alina02 @louderfortheback @minervadashwood @fandomsarelifee @theendofthe70s @nomajdetective @mgg-theprettiestboy

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

"What's the matter?" Daryl asked, coming to stand behind you as you stared into the scant closet. His body landed flush against yours and his hands pulled your hips back into him more tightly.

You sighed. "I don't want to go to this stupid event. How is it possible there even are fancy events anymore?" you asked. "It just feels wrong..." You turned in his arms and your hands landed on his sides. He gripped your hips more firmly, more securely. "And you have to work security, so I'm going to be by myself. I'd feel a lot better if you were going to be with me, right next to me."

"Yumiko will be there," Daryl reminded you, trying to sound reassuring.

"Yeah," you said vaguely. "They didn't even give me a choice. I understand why Tomi was hiding his medical degree. Just because I had a stupid, fancy degree in the old world now I'm stuck orbiting around all these assholes..."

Daryl chuckled and you looked up at him and met his blue eyes, which were narrowed slightly in a smile. "S'just one night. It'll be okay. And I'll be close by."

"Yeah," you sighed again. You turned back to the closet. "Help me choose something to wear?"

"Mmm," Daryl hummed. He left his position behind you and stepped forward to the closet. He shoved most of the hangers out of the way, reaching for one specific item of clothing. He held it out to you, clearly proud of his joke, and you smiled. It was his vest, leather arms stitched on for the cooler weather so it was a complete jacket.

You couldn't help laughing at his joke. "Babe... I don't think it's up to the dress code. They said semi-formal."

"Hmm. Alrigh'. Put one of them fancy dresses underneath it," he retorted, still smirking.

You grabbed the hanger from him. "Somehow, I don't think it'll fly... but I tell you what—maybe I can save it for later tonight when it's just the two of us. You know... as a complete outfit." Daryl's eyebrows lifted.

"Ya better not be teasin'," he drawled.

"I would never joke about something like that," you giggled.

Prompt: "Help me choose something to wear?"

[r6eduss]

I really wish you’d make up your mind.

•Summary: Daryl comes over for a smoke, who knew things would get so deep? (Fem reader)

•Warnings: 18+, Drug use, a teeny tiny bit suggestive but no smut, mentions of abuse, Stoner!Reader, Angst.

•Word Count: 2.3k.

•Setting: The Commonwealth

•A/N: Heavily inspired by Kimdracula by deftones. I have always thought Daryl is deathly afraid of labels on relationships, so here’s me implementing that into my writing. I love writing for the commonwealth era also let’s also pretend deftones lines up with twd timeline 🫢

Tension.

Tension was always the main thing between you and Daryl. For the longest time since the farm, you two have had something—something that can’t be explained by just simple words.

The both of you have kissed before, but for some reason never have said anything of it. Most people thought you two were a couple, but you don’t know what you two are. one thing for sure, is that you love each other. Platonic or not, you both have always stuck out for each other and world knows Daryl would fight to the ends of the earth to keep you and the rest of his family alive and safe.

Though right now, you haven’t seen much of Daryl, and that’s surprising considering he was your neighbor. Everyone from Alexandria have still been settling in, and he’s been incredibly busy, so have you with your new job settlement.

Suddenly being employed in the apocalypse definitely left you stoked, but you kind of enjoyed it unlike Daryl and the others. It was a bittersweet feeling, left you thinking maybe the world still does have a chance.

With some of the hard earned money that you managed to work up, you decided to head to town looking for music. It’s always been a huge comfort for you, helping you overcome challenges you had to face even before the fall, and you hoped maybe they had some of your favorite albums. Your eyes were set on the storefront at the end of the block, and you soon approached. A sign hung above it, faded but clear. “The Record Shop” and a faint sound of music leaked through the door. On entering, hearing the door chime you’re greeted with a familiar face.

“Welcome!- Oh shit hey!” It was Princess’ shift today, and honestly it was rather refreshing to see her face, you haven’t seen really anybody else you had known.

Looking around for a moment, you take in the decorations. You soon face Princess, giving her a warm smile.

“Hey! How have you been?”

“It’s been great! It’s been great.. How about you?” She responded, excited to be speaking with you.

“I’ve been good! I’m glad things are going well for you Princess.” You were kind of lying, things weren’t really good for you.. it’s been hard adjusting to this kind of life, you’ve always felt as if the apocalypse saved you in a way.

“I’m happy for you dude! Well did you come here to buy something?”

“Yeah actually, do you guys have deftones?” You were hoping to god they did. You were in such a need to listen to your favorite album, and the last time you did was years ago.

You can see her lips curve into a small smirk, as she points to the left. “Yep! All the way to the last aisle on the left.”

You’ve never felt as happy as you felt now.

“Thanks!” You quickly pick up your feet, rushing to the aisle that Princess pointed to. Upon arrival, you quickly scan the area in attempts to find your favorite album “Saturday Night Wrist”.

All you could spot was Around the Fur and White pony as you sifted through the records, fingers brushing against the glossy covers, the album you were looking for nowhere in sight. To be honest, you were a little disappointed, until you spot that beautiful untouched record hidden behind one of the Metallica covers right next to the ones you were looking through. It was very obviously the last one in stock.

You bit your lip while smirking in happiness, grabbing the album and basking in it, the cover still haunting and beautiful just as you remembered. After about 30 seconds of reminiscing, you head to the checkout where Princess was.

“That all?”

“Yep!”

“That’s 30!”

You hand her a 20 and a 10, and she proceeds to print out your receipt. “It was so good seeing you! And hey, don’t be a stranger!” She hands you what you came there for, and waves you off with a grin. You politely tell her goodnight and make your way to your apartment.

A few days ago you had asked Daryl and Judith if you could borrow that record player he had bought for her, since you were planning on buying some music. Of course they agreed, so you knew exactly what you were doing when you got home.

Just as you got to your destination, you spotted Daryl walking up to his own apartment, quickly taking notice of you. “Hey Daryl.” You already felt a bit tense, Daryl looked incredibly exhausted.

“Hey.”

Well this was kind of awkward, you greeted him but didn’t really know how to continue the conversation, until an idea sprang through you. “I uh, finally bought some music. Wanna join me in listening and have a smoke?” He seems like he could use a get away, and you have just the remedies to relax him.

You watched as he looks down at the floor, biting the inside of his lip before responding while slightly nodding his head. “Yea, Yea sure. Ya stayin’ up?” He started to swirl his thumbs together, you always thought it was really cute when he did that.

“Yeah, for a bit. C’mon I’m so excited to unwrap this.” You used your key to unlock your apartment door and enter, leaving the door open for Daryl as he quickly proceeds behind you.

He closes the door behind you both, locking it and following you to your room. It was dimly lit, bathed in the soft glow of candles around. “Hold this.” You hand Daryl the vinyl, before walking over to your drawer, pulling out rolling paper, an herb grinder, a lighter, and some weed. “Sorry, give me a second to do this, then we can put the album on the record player.” He nods, and goes to sit down on the corner of your neatly folded bed.

You go about crushing the marijuana, feeling the uncomfortableness of the situation seep into you. You and Daryl haven’t seen each other in weeks, now all of a sudden you invited him in for a smoke?

The silence starts becoming painfully sharp, so you begin at your poor attempts at starting conversation. “So how have you been settling in?” He looks up, staring at your figure then at your face, watching your movements as you proceed to add the cannabis onto the rolling paper. “I’ve been ‘Ight.” Wow. Was he normally this bland?

“Hm, that’s good. How are the kids?” Please Daryl, give a response that you can actually open a conversation to.. “They been good. Judith is doin’ better than her whole class.”

Finally, something worth answering. Your heart warms up for a moment, remembering that the kids are finally getting a real experience of what school is. You and Daryl are both incredibly thankful that the children are going to have a chance at a semi normal childhood.

“I’m not surprised at all.. Judith is so smart.” You finished up rolling the joint, sealing it with a lick. You turn to face the man you’ve grown to love, passing it to him while taking the record out of his hands, pulling out the vinyl from its frame and heading to where the record player is. This entire situation has got you feeling excited, being able to finally listen to one thing you missed before the dead rose, and doing it with your favorite person. You carefully place it onto the record player, moving the tonearm and playing it.

The first song that played was Hole in the Earth, and it gave you a type of skin crawling sensation that you just couldn’t explain.

Turning to Daryl, you take back the joint and light it. If you weren’t so focused on what you were doing, you would’ve noticed how he was staring at you, admiring everything you were doing, noticing how you felt when the music started playing, and being so entranced with how your hips swayed.

You took your first hit, soon after passing it to Daryl so he can also take a draw. He grabs the joint but he doesn’t bring it to his lips right away. He keeps his gaze on your face, looking you over before taking a deep inhale. He lets the smoke slowly spill from his mouth, while carefully making sure to blow it away from you. He passes it back to you, still maintaining eye contact. The tension was overbearing, and by the way he was looking at you, it was almost impossible not to feel flutters in your stomach.

The slow, moody guitar riff filling the space between you both accompanied with the scent of burning sage lingering in the air mixing with the sharp tang of weed, was making the tension rise all the more. You took a slow drag from the joint, eyes never leaving his, exhaling lazily and letting the smoke swirl between the two of you.

“You okay?” You ask, your voice light and teasing, catching the twitch of nerves in him. Daryl gave a small grunt, nodding and shifting his weight, his gaze flickering between your lips and the joint. He wasn’t used to moments like this—quiet, intimate.

You smiled gently, a little sly, while slowly leaning closer, feeling buzzed while the drug does its job. “Wanna shotgun it?”

Daryl swallowed hard. He wasn’t expecting something so bold, it’s not like you. But the idea of your lips so close, sharing the smoke between you, sent a ripple of emotion through him. So he gave you a nod, wanting more of this confident side of you.

You took another slow hit, eyes smoldering as you leaned in, lips barely parting. “Come here.” You whispered.

Daryl hesitated for a fraction of a second before leaning forward, feeling the heat of your breath as you exhaled into his mouth, smoke filling his lungs. All he could focus on was how close you were, the smell of your hair, and how beautiful you looked.

Before either of you could stop, the moment stretched, and your lips hovered near his. There was a beat, then two, before instinct took over. You closed the gap, pressing your mouth softly against his. Daryl was left caught off guard, still kissing you back.

The music throbbed around you as the kiss deepened, a mixture of nerves and heat rising. The joint, forgotten and placed onto the ashtray as Daryl’s hand found its way on your back, pulling you closer.

The kiss lingered longer than either of you expected. Your lips were soft and tasted of marijuana. He found himself sinking into the warmth of the moment, the aroma that had been hanging between you dissolving into something he wasn’t sure how to handle. His hands, rough and scarred, tightened around your waist, but there was a gentleness in the way he held you that surprised even him.

You kissed him slowly, as if you had all the time in the world, and Daryl could feel something stir inside him, something unfamiliar, almost unsettling. It wasn’t the impulsive thrill of survival, or the adrenaline of his attempts to protect himself from his father, it was something softer. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. His mind was racing, trying to make sense of the warmth spreading through his chest, the vulnerability.

You pulled back just a little, breath still warm on his lips, and your forehead resting lightly against his. You smiled, eyes searching his to try and figure him out.

Suddenly, it hit him.

He wasn’t used to this, wasn’t built for it. The closeness, the intimacy, the unspoken understanding in the way you looked at him. He was a man of instinct, not one for quiet moments that left him raw and uncertain. He wasn’t sure what he expected when your lips first met, but this— whatever this was, was way more than he could handle.

Daryl blinked, pulling back a few inches, breaking the connection between you. His hand, still on your waist, fell away, as if it had become too heavy to hold them there any longer.

“I— I cant.” He muttered, the words rough, barely forming in his throat. He stood up abruptly, moving his wavy locs from his face, stepping back as if the space between you could somehow shield him from the feelings creeping up inside him.

You looked up at him, confused. “What are we Daryl?” He can’t just kiss you then walk away? What was this?

“I don’t know.” He responded low, looking at the ground, anywhere but your face. You could hear your favorite song begin to play on the record player, this is not how you would’ve wanted to enjoy it for the first time in years.

“I should get goin’” he mumbled, already heading for the door.

You didn’t stop him, instead, feeling the tears swell up in your eyes, you responded with a simple “okay”.

He paused at the door, his hand resting at the handle. He could hear the sadness in your voice, but he didn’t look back. He couldn’t. If he did, he might see something in your eyes that would make it even harder to walk away.

“I’ll see ya ‘round,” he muttered, before leaving your room and heading for your front door, exiting your apartment. You began to cry, feeling confused and angry, sitting alone in your room listening to your song, comforting you, just like it did before the fall. As Daryl was still processing it all, the night air hit him, clearing his mind a bit but not enough to shake this unfamiliar weight in his chest.

He wasn’t sure what had just happened, all he knew was that it was too much, too real, and it scared him. He wasn’t the type to let anyone in, and yet, in that small dim lit room, he had felt something that had shook him to his core.

But for now, he pushed it down, like he always did, and walked away.

@vampiresluv

[incertaepersonae]

Daryl: u ok?

Y/n: hm? Yeah.

It's just this place... I don't know, I don't like it here.

Daryl: -m? Why?

Y/n: I mean.. this ...This community . Is this supposed to be another "safe place?" As if.. Woodbury was supposed to be a safe place. Remember the Governor ? Terminus was supposed to be a safe place. And what we got? Frickin' cannibals! Alexandria... Hill House and Gregory and the Saviours. No. Just... I can't trust them.

I'm telling you, I just..I have a really bad feeling about this place. And don't get me started on Hornsby.

Daryl:

Y/n : what? I'm just saying th-

Daryl: do you trust me?

Y/n: always.

Daryl: then stop worryin'.

Y/n *suspiciously*: you have a plan!

Daryl: maybe.

Y/n: tell me!

Daryl: no.

Y/n: why?

Daryl: s'not the right time. Yer' shadow's here. Behind ya.

Y/n: what sh-

Sebastian: Y/n!!! Long time no see!

Y/n: does your plan involves killing him? Please, say yes.

Daryl: uhuh, absolutely.

Y/n: well, finally some good fucking news!

[perryabbott]

THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON 2.03 "L'Invisible"

[mymanreedus]

[bananafire11]

Rosita appreciation post cuz I liked her a lot by the end of s11, ft. Daryl because i gotta include him in everything

[one-of-thewalkingdead]

The commonwealth in TWD is fucking stupid, you people are in a literal apocalypse if it wasn't for the guards and there was a breach they would all be dead that's not a statement it's a fact, they would all be dead, acting like fucking social class still matters, and why would I want to live in a place having to worry about money again when I could fucking leave and not worry about that shit, I'll take my chances with the walkers

[lab-gr0wn-lambs]

Just give me 2.5 minutes to make my case. See what I was seeing.

[thewalkingdeadcomicbest]

The Commonwealth Soldiers

The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead - S11 E10 - New Haunts gifs by @daryl-dixon-daydreams

[mistressheroine]

Keep Me chapter 6: In Your Love

“You know you… don’t have to sit so far away…” Beth said hesitantly, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth as she shifted nervously in her seat. His gaze intensified, before he ducked his head and rolled his shoulders. She heard him hum at the back of his throat. Her mind flashed back to that moment in the funeral home, as it so often did these days, to a similar gesture he’d made in the softly lit darkness. This time she was struck with a different kind of realisation.

“Oh.” Beth smiled, her eyes lighting up with surprise for a brief moment. “You’ve never done this before, have you?”

“Done what?” Daryl turned his body towards her, lifting a foot from the floor so he could sit further back and mirror the way Beth was sitting. He lifted his hands and Beth’s heart began to race when she thought he might reach out to touch her, but then he laced his fingers together as if he didn’t quite know what to do with them. She could feel his nerves and something else, something she hoped was desire, rolling off him towards her in steady waves.

“The whole ‘come over for dinner and hang out’ date thing.”

“You could have stopped at the date thing.” Daryl whispered, blushing as she saw him fight the urge to hide his eyes from her. She suppressed a grin when he shook his hair out of his face but his eyes never left hers.

“It’s okay, I don’t really know how to do this sort o’ thing either.” Beth confessed, licking her lips that had suddenly gone very dry. Daryl leaned forwards slightly, causing a small breath to catch silently in her throat.

[onefail-at-atime]

Are there fics out there where Daryl finds Beth living in the Commonwealth? Because if not, I feel like that should definitely be a thing.

[wibbley-wobble]

HOLY SHIT THEY MADE DARYL A PIG

[mymanreedus]

"Norman's all about his scars, and he's all about his black eye. He really likes to be dirty. He likes to be spattered with blood, surprisingly. So that was something that he really — was the result of the troopers hitting him when he was running in with her to sort of find a doctor for Judith."

Greg Nicotero, Business Insider

[breathlesspieceofdeath]

just finished the last chapter ever of the walking dead! i feel dead inside. got no tears left. can't stop sobbing nor shaking :3 brb gotta go kms