#he didn’t tell Rick right away when he changed his mind about letting Rick be his sidekick after he learned Zemo is alive

[daydreamerdrew]

Marvel: Heroes & Legends (1997) #1

[winterrsun]

Comfort

Reader x Daryl Dixon

Warnings: Smut, 18+ only

A/n: This is smut but it’s like the fluffiest sappiest smut, it’s meant to be really emotionally gratifying. Also I’ve really kinda half heartedly set it up for a part 2 where they reunite with the group and Rick…let me know if you think I should continue this!

Summary: after the prison fell, you and Daryl start to mourn what you’ve lost and find comfort in each other, both emotional and physical.

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The last couple of weeks had been such a blur. After the prison fell, you were thrown back into survival mode and all sense of security was gone. You never knew where your next meal would come from, or whether you were minutes away from death. You were grateful you’d gotten out in the company of Daryl and Beth; you’d always gotten along with both of them and Daryl was one of the most experienced survivalists. It was nice having Beth to talk to and relate to the experience as well, neither of you being natural outdoorsmen. Even if he was a grumpy ass most of the time, and she was still a bit of a bratty teenager at heart, you’d fast grown extremely reliant on both of them being around you.

You’d all found a small shack to hole up in for a couple of nights, you’d also found a stash of moonshine in the cupboard. Beth had been insistent on trying her first drink. It made you both amused and sad when you compared her experience to your teenage party years, so while Daryl disapproved you thought it was only fair to have your own little party. That’s how the three of you ended up on the living room floor, laughing your heads off.

“Really Y/N, you never been camping?!” Beth questioned incredulously.

“Yer even more a princess than I thought” scoffed Daryl.

“Yeah yeah,” you laughed, “well I suppose my whole life’s a big camping trip now.”

“Alright alright, my turn!” Daryl exclaimed. “I never… bin to a wedding”.

“You what?! Daryl that’s just sad” you said before taking a large swig of the homemade booze.

“Yeah, even I’ve been to a couple. Only other time I drank any liquor, daddy let me have a glass of champagne” said Beth.

“What part of my life was a fucking shit show before all this do you two not get” he grumbled.

You rubbed his arm, “alright we know, just teasing you” you smiled.

Beth’s giggles turned to hiccups, and she eventually lay her head down on the sofa and you realised she’d gone to sleep.

You nudged Daryl and nodded at Beth. He smiled at you, and pointed to the singular bedroom in the shack- suggesting you and he should move into the other room so as not to wake her.

The room was small; a double bed took up almost all the floor space, so you plopped yourself down on it. Daryl followed, carrying the bottle of moonshine with him. He took a sip before passing it to you, who did the same.

“She’ll be right” he gestured to the door, referring to Beth in the other room.

“I know” you replied, “we’ve all been there, she just needs to sleep it off.”

He nodded and you fell into an easy silence, both taking additional sips now and then. You grew pensive, and some of the thoughts you’d been mulling around for days started to come to the surface. The tipsy haze in your brain had your lips moving before you even knew you wanted to share what was on your mind.

“I don’t think I’ve said it,” you said, looking to Daryl, “but I’m so grateful for the two of you. The amount of times I’ve wondered what kind of state I’d be in if I was on my own…”

“Can’t be thinkin like that” he replied gently.

“I know. It’s just, it makes me mad to think about how quickly our circumstances changed. Things were so good Dar, they were finally all coming together. And then…..it’s just nothing in this world can ever really work can it?” You were rambling a little, but Daryl didn’t look like he was going to challenge you or tell you to be quiet. He just looked at you sadly.

“Do you think we’ll ever see any of them again?” You whispered to him. A tear escaped your eye and started to trickle down your cheek.

“I don’t know” he replied, and to your surprise he reached towards your face and softly wiped the tear of your cheek, “but I’m glad we’re here together too”.

He didn’t remove his hand from your face, in fact he gently cupped your chin. You leaned into it, while his head dipped closer to you and he planted a soft kiss on your lips. You closed your eyes and allowed the sweet sensation to wash over you.

When he pulled back away he looked unsure of himself, and mumbled a “sorry” to you.

You shook your head, placed your hands on his chest and leaned back toward him, kissing him more deeply this time. His tongue crept into your mouth and started to dance with yours.

Your hands drew up behind his neck as the two of you continued, and he reached for your waist, pulling you into his lap. The kiss grew needier as you straddled him; it wasn’t a need driven by pure sex and physical desire. It was like all the emotions you’d been feeling since the prison poured into your movements, and Daryl lapped them up and returned them with his own. You could’ve been hugging, or crying in each others arms, but instead you were kissing and writhing against each others bodies and it had the same cathartic effect.

You clung onto him as he pulled his lips away from yours briefly, to gently and slowly peel your dirty shirt up from your body. You allowed him to manoeuvre your arms overhead so he could take it off and toss it aside. He then reached around and unclasped your bra, and took a moment to stare at and admire the sight before him.

“You’re beautiful” he almost whispered, starting to run his hands over your breasts and grope them lightly. “I’m gonna take care of you Y/N, I promise”.

You were almost overwhelmed at this moment of pure bliss. You’d never thought there’d be anything sexual between you and Daryl. He was one of your best friends, with a bond like family. Sure he was hot. You’d notice his biceps peaking out of that winged vest and your heart might’ve quickened slightly every time you saw the way he gripped his motorbike handles. But you’d always just been friends.

Let alone the fact that you actually had a thing with his best friend. You and Rick had never defined whatever it was between you, but there was denying when he snuck into your cell nearly every night who you belonged to.

But Rick was gone. You didn’t know where, or if he was even alive, or if you’d ever see him again. It played on your mind every single day. You missed him so much more than all the others, longed for him. You were sick of it eating at you, and you just wanted to feel good for the first time in weeks.

You clawed at Daryl’s shirt, and he took a break from massaging your breasts to help you remove the black tee from his body. You pressed into him as your lips found his again and you relished the feeling of his skin against yours. It felt warm and unbelievably comforting. He began to rub circles on the small of your back and you arched into his touch.

“Daryl” you breathed against his mouth.

“What do you need baby?” He asked, pulling back and grabbing your face in both of his hands, eyes searching yours.

“You…I just need you” you said pleadingly.

Daryl shifted beneath you and lifted you up to flip you onto your back on the bed.

He slowly pulled your pants down and hovered over your torso, looking at your cotton panties. He dipped down and placed a soft kiss on your abdomen, creeping along your hip line. You hummed and wriggled at the tickling sensation, enjoying it. You felt a warmth envelop you from his touches. Then his fingers hooked into the elastic around your waist and pulled the fabric down from your body.

He ran his hand back up your leg, his eyes following the movements before he flitted them up to your face. You made eye contact and he sought the non verbal confirmation that you were okay. You bit your lip in anticipation as you gazed up at him, allowing yourself to be completely vulnerable under his touch. Now fully naked on the bed.

You gasped as his fingers found their way into your fold, and began to gently stroke around. You flinched slightly as he ran over your clit for the first time, and he placed a kiss back on your lips, then trailing down your neck. He began drawing circles around your sensitive nub at a steady but not too fast pace and he lifted his head back up to study your face again.

“So beautiful” he commented. You arched your back off the bed and moan softly. He picked up the pace a little and your pleasure increased.

“Daryl” you gasped, “I need more. I want all of you”.

He nodded, stroked your hair with his free hand before withdrawing them both to unbutton and remove his pants. You lowered your eyes and watched as he freed his sizeable cock from his underpants. You sat up and leaned forward, glancing up at him with doe eyes before attaching your lips to his member.

He groaned as you took him in your warm, wet mouth. You suckled and licked around it, playing with him while lubing him up for you. His hands found their way into your hair, loosely gripping it while you bobbed your head back and forth. He threw his head back and savoured the sensation.

After a little while you pulled away and he gently pushed your shoulder so you lay back on the bed. He braced himself over you and lined himself up, gazing down into your eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re here” he whispered, hovering outside your entrance. You nudged your head up to plant a kiss on his lips.

“Me too” you said softly.

Then he slowly thrust into you. It ached just a little on the way in, but you quickly adjusted to him. For the first time in weeks you felt whole, and human, and like you were capable of something other than simply just surviving as he sank inside you.

You tensed around him and wrapped your legs around his body, which he took as a signal to start pumping his hips in and out of you. Warmth filled your body, radiating from your core to chest at the feeling of connection and intimacy. To your surprise, tears prickled your eyes as you felt emotionally stimulated as much as physically. You squeezed your eyes shut and bit onto Daryl’s shoulder, allowing his warm skin to absorb the moan that left you.

“Don’t need to keep too quiet pretty girl” he said encouragingly. You smirked and let go, noting the love bite you’d left behind before moaning out into the room this time as his hips continued to pound into you.

He pulled out briefly and you were left feeling empty and disappointed, just for him to gently grab your thigh and push your leg back towards your face, hooked behind his arm. He pushed back in and you relished the new, deeper angle.

“Fuuuck, yesss” you hissed and he smirked down at you.

“Feels good baby?” He cooed before grind his hips in a particularly deep thrust and you nodded, moaning in reply.

He picked up the pace now and you felt the heat grow in your belly, driven more by lust at this point. Your climax was building, and it was as if Daryl could tell. He drove into you faster than before, angling his hips upwards to hit just the right spot.

“Dar! I’m gonna” you began-

“I know baby, let go” he soothed.

With an almost scream you came, it rippled through you in waves and he rode it out with you. In this moment nothing else mattered, not the situation you were in, the home you’d lost, the people you’d been seperated from. It was just bliss for a perfect moment.

As your pleasure subsided Daryl snapped his hips into a few more hard times before grunting himself and moving to pull out of you.

“Don’t!” You cried without thinking, holding his hips to yours with your small hands. You felt his dick pulsate inside you as he painted your walls with his cum. It was the last, comforting gesture you wanted to take from him tonight. The feeling of him filling you up as much he possibly could.

His sweaty forehead met yours as he stopped moving, and you felt his penis jerk inside you one last time before all was still. You panted together for a few seconds, before he slowly rolled over to lay next to you.

You felt his ejaculate trickle out of you onto the bed, and groaned at the mess, grinning at him.

He looked around and grabbed a throw blanket from the end of the bed, using it to roughly wipe up you and the linen beneath you. You both chuckled, and he tossed it aside before throwing an arm around you and pulling you towards him to lay your head on his chest.

With your head on his bare skin and listening to the sound of his heart beat and the sensation of his breath rise and fall, you closed your eyes and fell asleep. He planted once last kiss to the top of your head before doing the same.

You woke with a start to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight beginning to creep in through the window, neck stiff from the angle you slept at. You felt chilly and looked down to see goosebumps over your bare body. Not just yours, you noted the extra limbs tangled with yours and remembered the situation you were in. You smiled to yourself, knowing that the amazing night was a once off for you both.

Daryl had just started to stir at your movements on the bed, before you heard movements in the other room. A female voice groaning, before stomping quick footsteps and the sound of coughing and liquid splashing the metal sink. Beth had arisen, and was experiencing her first hangover. You almost would have giggled, except you realised you had to get dressed quick and decide how to explain the two of spending the night in a small room with one double bed.

You looked back at Daryl, now fully awake and judging by the expression on his face thinking the same thing you were.

“Well, back to reality” you whispered with a shrug.

He pulled you in for one last embrace, planting a kiss firmly to your lips before whispering back “thanks for last night beautiful”.

[l0vergirlwrites]

rick grimes intimacy headcanons

warnings: mentions of intimacy, mentions of sex, some angst & fluff.

one of rick’s hands always rested on your lower back without fail. it had been something he developed when the group was on the road to washington d.c., & it continued during your time at alexandria. you liked to think he did it so he could keep you close. rick felt that it was just a precaution so he’d know you’d be in arms reach—just a little safety thing. he’d typically rub his thumb along your back too, knowing it’d make you smile.

your thing was ruffling rick’s hair. feeling his curls mesh between your fingers was always something you cherished because of the setting—whether you both were cuddling in bed, helping rick with his hair in the morning when the curls weren’t looking right, turning a serious moment into something sweet—it was a moment you could spend with him alone, not thinking about walkers, danger, responsibilities—you could just be yourselves & unwind.

“you look cute like this. i should get the camera” you laughed at rick as your fingers cascaded through his hair with a wide tooth comb.

“shut up” he scrunched his nose with a smile, leaning his head towards yours for a quick kiss to in fact shut you up.

you tended to rest your head on rick’s shoulder a lot, & he never minded. he’d often suggest you’d do it to catch a few minutes of sleep when you’re on runs, sitting through council meetings, etc. you’d do the same for him, knowing he needed more sleep than you since he was the main leader around here.

“hey, you tired?” rick asked, nudging your arm to make your eyes flutter open. you both were on watch.

“just a little…” you yawned, shaking your head as you inhaled.

rick would nod his head, motioning you to come closer, & once your head rested on his shoulder, he’d turn to press a kiss on yours.

you both would try to keep pda to a minimum when the group was around, but there were moments where you both would ignore it for the sake of the situation. a quick kiss before splitting up to complete a plan, quick whispers of “be careful” as lips brushed, wrapping an arm around each other while keeping watch, etc.

your first time having sex with rick was special. it wasn’t rushed or too rough—it was slow, loving & sweeter than honey. touches lingered, chests heaved, & all the sensations felt like heaven. you’d whisper sweet nothings in his ear when his head ducked into your neck. he’d whisper words of praise as he practically worshiped your body.

“you’re perfect rick, god—so perfect”

“that’s it, hmmm… good girl—you’re doing so good for me”

“i love you, i love you”

“you feeling good? tell me” “yeah—really good, just like that—“

you were known to have nervous breakdowns every now & then. when they’d bubble up, you’d try to go somewhere quiet or away from the group so you could have some privacy as you tried calming down. whenever rick was around to see you in this state, he’d excuse himself from the group, saying that daryl or carol would be in charge. rick would put a hand on your shoulder while your arms would be crossed on your chest. he’d ask if you needed to sit down, or if you needed water. if you said no to both, he’d gently pull you into his arms with one hand rubbing your back & the other holding your head against his shoulder.

“hey, it’s alright. let it out, i’m here. not gonna let you go”

“i got ya y/n… okay? you’re all good”

when rick would have breakdowns of his own, he’d hide his face in your neck & hold onto you as a lifeline—sometimes his grip would be really tight, but you didn’t mind. you’d run your hands through his hair a little, as well as his back.

“you can let it out—don’t have to be strong all the time”

“i’m here for you. you’ll always have me, no questions asked”

“we’ll be okay rick, promise”

rick would usually be the big spoon, but that would change on certain occasions, especially if he was overly stressed or ridden with grief. some nights he may not hold onto you too tight, but something as simple like holding your hand or letting your legs rest on top of his would be enough.

your favourite spot to kiss him—besides his lips— would be his temple.

rick’s favourite spot to kiss you—besides your lips— would be on the apple of your cheek.

[daryltwdixon]

The Ruins of Us: Chapter 7

Summary: Still reeling from the traumatic events of the night before, you struggle to figure out your next move. Your suspicion and fear of Shane continues to grow, and aren't ready to face him or Daryl after the night's events. This chapter follows the last episode of TWD S1 pretty closely, but we do veer off towards the end.

Warnings: mentions of child abuse, abusive households.

You creep down the hallway, your steps quickening, until you pull open a storage door on your right. It’s the first room you see and hope is empty. As you shut the door behind you, you slide to the floor, your back against the cool wood. Pulling your knees up to your chest, you press your hands to your face, rubbing your eyes hard enough to see flashes of color. The events of last night replay in your mind, and you reach up, gingerly touching your sore neck, hoping there aren’t any visible bruises.

There are gaps in your memory—flashes of Shane standing in the doorway with Lori, the yelling, and then him choking you. You can’t fully remember what he said, just the way you felt after. Hurt, betrayed... hollow. The last thing you recall is him dropping you to the floor, and everything blurring until you drifted off to sleep.

What you don’t remember—what sends heat flooding your cheeks—is how you ended up in that bed. You have flickers of someone picking you up, the faint scent of cigarettes and musk surrounding you. At some point, you were lying on something soft, but the details are foggy, slipping away as quickly as they come. Letting out a heavy sigh, you lean your head back against the door.

When you open your eyes, you notice a suitcase on the floor, clothes scattered around it. It doesn’t belong to anyone from your group, but the clothing is definitely women’s. Your curiosity gets the better of you, and you crawl over, sifting through the fabrics. A grin spreads across your face as you realize someone must’ve packed this knowing they’d be stuck here for a while. You could use a new pair of shorts and a clean shirt.

You pull out a pair of denim shorts, a black band t-shirt with a faded Queen album cover on it, and—thank god—a clean pair of socks without any holes. The clothes look a little big, but manageable with a belt. Quickly, you change into the new outfit before stepping back into the hallway.

You make your way to the bathroom, less panicked now. Standing in front of the mirror, you inspect your neck. No bruises—just tender, reddened skin. You splash cold water on your face, trying to calm the burning heat rising to your cheeks as memories from the night before resurface. Pulling a comb from your pocket (thankfully found in the luggage), you run it through your hair until you're satisfied.

Back in the hallway, you slide on your black boots, quickly doing up the laces. Voices drift toward you from the left, drawing you toward the cafeteria.

Inside, a few people glance up and murmur good mornings. You spot Glenn slumped over the table, looking more than a little green. Smiling, you notice that most of them look a little worse for wear.

Rick comes in behind you, his hand brushing the small of your back to let you know he’s moving past. “Morning, everyone,” he says with a raspy voice, sitting beside Lori and Carl.

“Are you hungover?” Carl asks loudly. “Mom said you would be.”

“Mom is right,” Rick admits, smiling despite his hoarse voice. Lori murmurs something about it being one of her annoying habits, earning a grin from Rick and Carl.

“Eggs!” T-Dog calls, carrying a pan of scrambled eggs over to the table. You didn’t know him well until yesterday, but he’s friendly, his gap-toothed smile endearing.

“Powdered, but I do ‘em good,” he says proudly. “Bet you can’t tell.”

Glenn groans next to you, leaning into Jaqui as she tries to stifle her laughter. “Don’t ever, ever let me drink again,” he moans, eyes half-closed.

Your smile fades when Shane enters the room, offering a brief “Hey” as he passes. You watch him intently, taking a sip of coffee Jaqui poured for you. After murmuring a quick thanks to her, you keep your eyes on Shane, tracking his movements behind the cup.

“Feel as bad as I do?” Rick calls over to him.

“Worse,” Shane mutters, grabbing himself a cup of coffee.

T-Dog squints at him. “The hell happened to you?” he asks, noticing the angry red marks on Shane’s neck.

Shane walks over to the table, sitting diagonally across from you. He doesn’t meet your gaze. “Must’ve done it in my sleep,” he says, his voice low.

You glance over at Lori, catching her eye just as she quickly looks away, her face pale and tight with tension.

“I’ve never seen you do that before,” Rick says, concern lacing his voice.

“Me neither… not like me at all,” Shane grumbles, his wide-eyed gaze shifting to Lori. You stare at him, waiting for him to look away from her, but he doesn’t.

Just then, Dr. Jenner enters the room, greeting everyone as he makes his way to the coffee pot. The energy in the room shifts, the tension still thick but more manageable.

Dale clears his throat, breaking the silence. “I don’t mean to bring up questions so early,” he starts, but Andrea cuts him off, saving him from the awkward moment.

“We didn’t come here for the eggs,” she says, her eyes fixed on Dr. Jenner.

He looks at all of you, taking a long sip from his coffee before setting it down. “Come with me,” he says.

You all file out of the room, following the doctor down the hall. You stray behind, trying to match Lori Grimes’ stride as she walks out. She has her arm around Carl’s shoulders as you match her pace. 

“Lori, I–” but she cuts you off, her eyes hard as steel.

“Don’t,” she looks over at you with hard eyes, “I’m fine, everything is fine ,”

All you can do is nod under her glare, falling silent as she walks ahead.

You trail behind, watching Shane as he walks up front, his head turning every now and then to glance over his shoulder at you. You ignore him, keeping your eyes down as you continue down the hallway.

A door opens to your right, and you look up to see a sleepy Daryl stepping out of his room, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. He pauses, looking at you for a long moment, his gaze dropping to the change of clothes. His cheeks flush a light pink.

“Nice shirt,” he murmurs with a half-smile, his voice low and groggy.

All you can manage is a small nod, barely smiling back, your heart fluttering as you walk past him into the main control room.

You stand silently as Dr. Jenner shows the group his Test Subject 19 on the large screen. You already have a basic understanding of brain synapses and the different lobes from your first year in college, but you notice how invested everyone else is in what he’s showing. The screen lights up with a scan, taking you deep into someone’s brain, showing the electrical pulses of a living human.

“It’s a person’s memories, experiences, life,” Jenner explains, his voice quiet but profound.

“You don’t ever make sense?” Daryl grunts, crossing his arms, clearly unimpressed.

Jenner explains synapses and brain function, his tone patient. But the realization hits—the group is about to watch someone die on screen.

“This was someone who was bitten... infected,” Jenner continues, the sadness thickening in his voice. “They volunteered to let us record the process.”

He scans forward to the “first event” watching the virus invade the brain. The person on screen is dying in front of you. Conversations murmur around the room as people mention their own lost loved ones, faces tightening with grief. You glance over at Andrea, who looks hollow, her face drained when Amy’s name is mentioned. Your heart clenches for her.

Jenner pauses the video, asking his AI to fast-forward. What you see next makes your breath catch, your eyes widening as you stare at the screen.

In an hour, one minute, and seven seconds, a flicker of light appears on the brain stem. The rest of the brain is dark, lifeless—dead—but this flicker sparks something. It brings the person back to life, or at least what’s left of them. But just as quickly, a sudden flash blows through the brain, and the movement stops. Carol reacts first, asking what it was.

“He shot his patient in the head… didn’t you?” Andrea says. Jenner powers down his station. Jenner powers down the station, his face grim. More murmurs break out, trying to grasp the idea of something that brings people back only to turn them into mindless killers. You glance over at Daryl, and he’s already looking at you. The two of you lock eyes, almost like having your own silent conversation from across the room.

“So there’s nothing left anywhere, nothing?” Andrea says and you turn to watch the doctor. He says nothing. You stand there, processing the truth. The person may technically come back, but they’re not truly alive. Not in any way that matters. They don’t think, don’t feel—just walk aimlessly, driven by the need to consume. Nothing else.

“Man,” Daryl mutters, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. “I wanna get shit-faced drunk--again.” He walks away, leaning heavily against one of the computer desks, frustration etched into every line of his body.

The room is still when Dale speaks up. “Dr. Jenner,” he says cautiously, eyes filled with concern, “I know this has been hard on you, but I’ve got one more question.” He points to the large clock on the wall. “That clock… it’s counting down. What happens at zero?”

You all turn to look at it: 60 minutes remain.

“The basement generators—they run out of fuel,” Jenner replies quietly.

“And then?” Rick asks, the tension in his voice clear.

No answer.

Rick asks the AI what happens when the power runs out, and she explains: “facility-wide decontamination will occur,” her robotic voice making it sound even more ominous.

The silence is replaced by movement as Rick, Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog rush toward the basement to check the generators for themselves. The urgency is palpable.

You start to follow them when Daryl’s hand grips your arm, pulling you back. His grip is firm, his eyes searching yours. You glance around, noticing the others filing out of the room, but Daryl doesn’t budge. He looks back at the group, then pulls you into the hallway, steering you toward the room where you woke up earlier that morning.

“What happened last night?” he asks, his voice low, a rough whisper meant just for you.

“What do you mean?” you try to deflect, feigning confusion. You’re not sure you’re ready to face the truth of where he found you or how you ended up there. His eyes narrow, scrutinizing your face, searching for answers that you’re not ready to give. The hallway falls eerily silent. You realize the air conditioning has stopped, leaving the air heavy and still. When you glance back at Daryl, he’s still watching you intently, waiting.

You sigh, your shoulders slumping. “I… well… Shane…” You trail off, shaking your head, unsure how to even begin explaining the weight of last night. Before you can continue, the lights flicker and go out, plunging the room into darkness.

You and Daryl peek outside as the group surrounds Dr. Jenner, bombarding him with frantic questions as he walks briskly down the long corridor. The tension is palpable, the fear growing with each second that ticks by.

“Energy use is being prioritized,” Jenner explains, his voice distant and detached, walking faster than anyone can keep up. “Zone five is shutting itself down.”

Your heart skips a beat as the realization hits. “What the hell does that mean?” you shout, quickening your pace to catch up with him. Panic bubbles up, but you fight to keep your voice steady.

Daryl, more forceful, charges up beside you. “Hey, man, she’s talkin’ to you!” he shouts, voice rough with frustration. “What do you mean it’s shutting itself down? How the hell can a building do anything?”

Jenner barely looks back. “You’d be surprised,” he mutters flatly, his answer offering no comfort.

The group exchanges nervous glances as you follow Jenner back into the main control room. Anxiety spikes, your thoughts racing ahead, searching for an escape route, a solution—anything. You can feel the tension mounting, tightening in your chest. You hear Jenner suddenly bring up the damn French, rambling about how they were the last to try and hold out for a solution, only to run out of power, just like here.

Rick’s voice breaks through the noise, cutting sharp and clear. “Everybody get your things. We’re getting out of here—now.”

The air seems to shift as Rick speaks, the urgency in his tone making it real. The AI system blares an alarm, and the robotic voice announces coldly, “30 minutes until decontamination.” The words hit like a physical blow. A frantic urgency overtakes you, spreading through the group like wildfire. Before you can even react, Jenner rushes to his computer, fingers flying over the keyboard. You and the others start to make your way toward the exits, but suddenly, the thick, metal doors slam shut, cutting off your escape. The heavy thud echoes in your chest, and a cold sense of dread settles over you.

“Did you just lock us in?” Glenn’s voice trembles, panic lacing his words. “He just locked us in!”

Your eyes dart to Daryl, and in an instant, he charges at Jenner. “You son of a bitch!” he bellows, his fists clenched, fury etched across his face.

Chaos erupts. You sprint after Daryl, desperate to stop him, but Shane gets there first, grabbing Daryl just as his hands close around Jenner’s shirt. Shane throws Daryl off, sending him crashing into a desk. People are shouting, screaming for Jenner to open the emergency exits, demanding answers. But Jenner, eerily calm in the storm of panic, shakes his head. His voice is too steady, too cold.

“I told you, once that front door closed, it wouldn’t open again,” Jenner says, pointing a finger at Rick. “You heard me say that.”

The room falls into a deafening silence, the weight of his words crushing down on you.

“It’s better this way,” Jenner says quietly, a hollow certainty in his voice.

Rick steps forward, eyes blazing. “What is? What happens in 28 minutes?” he demands, his voice rising. Jenner looks away, refusing to answer. Rick grabs him, his hands fisted in Jenner’s shirt. “What happens?”

Suddenly, Jenner starts screaming, breaking his eerie calm. He's explaining that this place can’t let things out when the power goes out–small box, ebola, viruses that could wipe out humans. The HITs prevent organisms from getting out. There’s questions on everyone’s faces. But you know what that means. Organisms. No organism can escape this place for the safety of the planet. Your brain clicks into place as your heart starts pumping harder. 

The AI, “VI” defines HITs to the room. All you can make out over the pounding of blood in your ears is explosives. The air catching on fire. Absolute devastation makes your skin crawl.

“It sets the air on fire. No pain. End to sorrow, grief, regret…everything,” Jenner whispers.

There’s a deafening silence in the room as you all stare at him. Suddenly Daryl starts throwing things at the door, using hammers with Shane against it to open it. You join them with more weapons, trying to hit the door as hard as you can. You don’t back down from a threat. You know better. The Dixon brothers taught you better. You feel like a caged animal being backed into a corner. All you know how to do is kick and scream and fight . It’s the only thing that’s kept you alive all this time. The adrenaline in you is pumping so hard that you’re in fight or flight. You use all your strength to continue pounding on the door with the sledgehammer in the room. 

“Those doors are designed to withstand rocket launchers,” Jenner says from behind you, his voice infuriatingly calm.

Daryl turns and charges again, “Well your head ain’t!” Everyone goes for him, holding him back. You watch, your heart hammering in your chest, knowing Jenner is your only hope. He’s the only one who knows the code. The only one who can let you out. But he’s given up. The realization hits you like a punch to the gut. There’s no way out unless he decides to let you live.

“There is no hope,” Jenner says, his voice soft but heavy with finality. “There never was. This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event.”

The room erupts again, voices overlapping, but your mind zeroes in on Carol, who’s clutching Sophia tightly, her face streaked with tears. “You can’tkeep us here!” she screams, her voice cracking, her sobs growing louder.

Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked cuts through the chaos. You whip around to see Shane, his shotgun aimed squarely at Jenner. His face is contorted in rage, eyes wide and wild. Rick rushes forward, shouting for him to stop, but Shane doesn’t seem to hear him. He’s like a rabid dog, on the edge of losing control completely.

But Shane turns, you’re not sure if it’s Rick that was able to turn him or he did it himself to shoot the machines all over the room. You duck behind a table across the room. Rick is on top of Shane, about to punch him with the butt of the gun, “you done now?” he asks. He turns and after a long moment, says he thinks the doctor is lying about no hope. He had to be here working all this time for something.

“I made a promise,” the doctor stands, “to her, my wife.” he’s pointing at the large blank screen.

“Test subject 19… your wife,” you say, standing now. Jenner continues to explain how intelligent and amazing she was, and that she died for this. Because of this. But his wife didn't have a choice.

“All we want is a choice–a chance,” Rick says quietly.

Carol pleads, “Let us keep trying. As long as we can.”

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Jenner hesitates. Then, with a resigned sigh, he punches in the code. The doors unlock with a loud hiss.

“Come on!” Daryl shouts, his voice like a battle cry, and the room explodes into movement.

You sprint to your room, adrenaline fueling your every step. Grabbing your gun and knife, you scan the room for anything else you might need. There’s nothing. Just the clothes on your back and the weapons in your hands. You tear back into the hallway, your heart pounding.

But where is everyone? You whirl around, checking each room, panic clawing at your insides. They were just here—where the hell did they go? The building feels like a maze, but you refuse to leave without Daryl. Not until you know he’s safe. So you keep running, searching every room, every hallway, your pulse racing as the clock ticks down. Time is slipping away, and with it, any chance of survival.

But you won’t leave without him. Not now. Not ever again.

Daryl

Daryl rushes toward the main entrance, hammers gripped tight in both hands. Shane’s right beside him, charging up the stairs with a gun in hand.

“Daryl!” Shane yells, holding out his hand. Daryl tosses him one of the hammers without missing a beat. They both start pounding the windows, desperate, each hit echoing in the dead air. T-Dog joins in with a chair, slamming it against the thick glass. Suddenly, Carol steps forward, trembling, and walks over to Rick. Her hand shakes as she digs into her bag and pulls out a grenade. Rick pauses for a second, eyes wide, then snatches it from her quickly. His movements are sharp as he pulls the pin and places it at the base of the window.

Daryl backs off fast, instincts kicking in. What the hell is he waitin’ for?  he thinks, watching Rick linger too close. Then the realization seems to hit Rick, too.

“Oh shit,” Rick mutters, bolting away from the window.

“Get down!” Shane yells. Everyone drops just in time as the explosion rocks the room, the blast shattering the window.

It worked.

Everyone scrambles to their feet, grabbing their things in a rush. Daryl slings his crossbow over his shoulder and leaps through the broken window, hitting the ground outside. One by one, the others follow, pouring out into the night. They’re running, sprinting through the maze of dead bodies, the stink of decay thick in the air, walkers already stirring, drawn by the noise.

Daryl’s foot catches on something. He stumbles, crashing to the ground. When he looks down, his heart stops. The lifeless body beneath him is wearing nothing but tattered, bloody pants and a Queen band t-shirt...the same shirt you were wearing. His mind reels, blood roaring in his ears. The image of your face flashes before him. No, no, no.

“Y/N,” he breathes, his chest tightening with panic. He’s wrenches himself to his feet, eyes wide, whipping his head around to search for you. His breathing is ragged, frantic. You’re not with the others, you’re not running ahead with the group like you always are. You’re not beside him. You’re nowhere.

Rick and Shane are screaming at him, their voices a blur in his mind. He can’t hear them. Can’t hear anything but the pounding in his skull. All he can think about is you. Where the hell are you? How did he lose track of you? His fists clench tight. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He knew better than to let you go off alone. Should’ve waited for you, should’ve been with you. Always together, always watching each other’s backs. He promised he’d keep you safe, and now… now…

Daryl spins around, ignoring the shouts from behind him. He bolts back into the building, his legs moving before his mind can catch up. He’s shouting your name, his voice raw, desperate. He passes Dale and Andrea—they’re trying to call him, but he doesn’t stop. Won’t stop until he finds you. His throat burns from screaming, his vision narrowing. He knows time’s running out, but he can’t think about that. Not now. Not when you’re still inside. 

He pauses for a second, gasping for breath, trying to pull himself out of the panic. He can’t do this. Not like this. He forces himself to stop, closing his eyes for a second, trying to clear the fog. Focus, track her. You’re good at that. You know how to find her. His mind sharpens. The noise, the chaos fades into the background. He listens. And then he hears it—your voice. Faint but there. Screaming his name. Daryl’s head snaps toward the sound. He sprints down the hallway, his heart pounding. The doors are all open, rooms emptied out. And then, at the end of the hall—you.

You’re running toward him, panic all over your face, your skin flushed. His own chest is tight, matching the terror he sees mirrored in your eyes. For a split second, everything stops. Just you and him.

And then you’re running again, full speed toward each other. He grabs your hand, his grip tight, pulling you with him. Without a word, you’re both sprinting, racing down the stairs, out the shattered window, feet hitting the ground hard. The cool morning air feels like a slap, but there’s no time to think about that.

In the distance, you both hear the others—Rick’s voice, Shane yelling—but it’s all a blur. Daryl knows they’ve only got seconds. Maybe two, if they’re lucky.

He shoves you down behind a pile of sandbags, throwing himself on top of you. His body covers yours, his arms hovering protectively over your face and neck, his breath quick and shallow against your ear. The ground shakes beneath you, the sound of the explosion deafening. The CDC building behind you bursts, flames erupting from the windows, shattering glass and sending a wave of heat and pressure through the air.

Daryl holds on tight as debris rains down around you. His body shields yours, his arms bracing against the force of the explosion, his heart pounding in his chest. For a long moment, all he can hear is the roar of the fire and the pounding of his own blood in his ears.

And then… silence.

Daryl’s breath comes in ragged gasps as he lifts his head slightly, looking down at you. His hand is still gripping yours, tight, but he loosens his hold, blinking away the dust and ash. Your face is pale, but your eyes are wide open, staring up at him. Alive.

You’re both alive.

He lets out a shaky breath, leaning his forehead against yours for a brief second, the tension finally breaking. You’re safe. You made it out.

For now.

x Flashback x

Young reader & Daryl 

It was a cooler day, the crisp bite of fall in the air, when Daryl showed up at your front door. You were maybe six or seven at the time—having only met him a few days ago. When you opened the door, you found him standing there, quiet and pensive, chewing on the inside of his cheek like he was working up the nerve to say something.

“Hi,” you greeted shyly, waiting for him to speak. After a long pause, he finally looked away from you, fidgeting with his hands.

“Wan’ come hunt squirrels?” he mumbled, twisting his fingers together, still avoiding your gaze.

A grin stretched across your face, showing the gap where you’d just lost a baby tooth. His shy grin mirrored yours, growing wider as he waited for your reply.

“Yeah!” you agreed, stepping outside to join him. Daryl’s grin got a little bigger, his shoulders loosening as you walked off the porch together.

“Don’t you gotta tell your mama and papa?” he asked, stopping you halfway down the stairs. The smile faded from your face as you glanced back at the door.

“Daddy ain’t here no more,” you said quietly, your eyes dropping to the cracks in the worn wood of the porch.

“And your mama?” Daryl asked again, softer this time.

You shrugged, turning away. You knew she wouldn’t notice you were gone. She rarely did these days, spending her time either asleep in bed or out late, reeking of booze when she stumbled back in the early hours. You doubted she even realized you were still in the house most of the time. Once in a while when she was conscious she would look at you with her nose crinkled or swatted a newspaper at you.

Daryl walked in stride beside you as you left the house, the cool wind picking up around you. The woods were nearby, the sound of a small stream trickling as you approached the trail. Daryl had a large crossbow strapped to his back, way too big for a kid his size, but he carried it like it was the most important thing in the world.

“What’s that?” you asked, pointing at the weapon slung across his small shoulders.

“My pops’ old huntin’ crossbow,” Daryl said proudly, puffing out his chest a bit.

“Wow,” you whispered in awe, your eyes wide. Daryl’s chest puffed up a little more, clearly pleased that you were impressed.

“Darylina!” a voice called from behind, interrupting your conversation. You both turned to see a lanky teenage boy on a beat-up bicycle coasting up to the curb. He had messy dark hair and a smirk plastered on his face.

“Who’s this, Darylina?” he taunted, jumping off his bike and walking over with a swagger. “Is this your girlfriend?”

Daryl’s face flushed, and he stared at the ground, the confidence he’d had moments ago disappearing.

“Stop callin’ me that, Merle,” Daryl muttered, kicking at the dirt.

“Aww, did I hurt your w’ittle feelin’s?” Merle sneered, crouching slightly as he leered at his younger brother. “Is this your girrrlfriend?” he asked again, this time directing his smirk at you.

“How ya doin’ little lady?” Merle approached you with a swing in his step, “I’m Merle. This kid’s big brother,”

 You had been around a lot of bullies in school–those who’d taunt you about your dirty clothes, your greasy unwashed hair, and sometimes even followed you home off the bus to taunt you about living in a trailer park. Merle seemed just like them. Your face was turning red, but not out of embarrassment. It had been a long while since you let other kids embarrass you. 

“What’d’ya want?” you stood straight, arms crossed. Daryl shot you a glance, eyes wide with surprise at your boldness.

“Ooohoo hoo! We love a girl with some spunk, don’t we, Darylina?” Merle said, whistling through his teeth. He looked back at Daryl, who remained silent, but his eyes never left you.

“Go away,” you said confidently, standing a little straighter.

“Or what? What’re you gon’ do, little lady?” Merle teased, taking a step closer. “What’s yer name, anyway?”

“None of your business,” you shot back, folding your arms tighter over your chest.

Merle’s leer just gets wider, looking you up and down, “I like you, Daryl needs someone to be his backbone for once,” 

That seemed to be enough for Daryl. “Get outta here, Merle. We’re huntin’ squirrels,” he said, turning his back on his brother, clearly wanting you to follow. But you stayed put, watching Merle closely, daring him to push you further.

“Aww, ain’t that cute—this your first date?” Merle laughed, his voice sing-songy. “Should I mark the date on my calendar for the weddin’?”

You stare up at the teenager, your mouth tightening into a thin line, eyes narrowing. He’s leering down at you too, waiting for what you’ll do next. You honestly think he might actually like your spunk, but you can’t be sure. You knew many bullies like him. But you make up your mind and turn your back, following Daryl.

“Darylina and his girlfriend, kissing in a tree, K-I-S-S-I–” you hear behind you, and you stomp back over and kick your foot out, hard into Merle’s shin.

“Ow! You little–!” he shouts.Without missing a beat, you grabbed Daryl’s arm and bolted into the woods. You could hear Merle cursing behind you, but the two of you veered off the path, ducking under branches and weaving through trees where Merle couldn’t follow on his bike.

When you were sure you’d lost him, you both collapsed into laughter, breathless and exhilarated. Bent over, hands on your knees, you looked at Daryl, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“He might kill you,” Daryl chuckled, still trying to catch his breath.

“I’d like to see him try,” you shot back, straightening up with a defiant smile. “Now, you gon’ show me how to hunt squirrels or what?”

Daryl’s grin returned, and he pulled the crossbow from his back, holding it like a badge of honor. “Yeah, let’s go.”

You and Daryl made your way into the woods, and kept telling you to keep quiet.

"Your fat feet keep scarin’ everything off," he muttered, glancing back at you with mild frustration. "You wouldn’t last a day on your own if you had to hunt fer yourself."

You whipped around on him, and he staggered to a stop, “Ain’t you s’possed to be teachin’ me?” you snapped, hands on your hips. he rolled his eyes at you, then pointed to your feet.

“You’re muckin’ up the trail, come here,” he said, pulling you back. You backed up so you were right next to him, following his pointed finger.

"I only see dirt," you said flatly, squinting at the spot he was so focused on.

“Look closer,” he whispered, leaning down to the ground. You squatted next to him, your face inches from the forest floor. That’s when you noticed it—subtle gaps in the leaves, some pressed down, others left undisturbed. It looked like nothing at first, but then you saw the faint shape of a footprint.

“Prints?” you said, heart swelling.

Daryl stood up quickly, a rare smile flickering across his face. "Yeah," he said, nodding, then turned to lead the way again. His sharp eyes tracked the trail effortlessly, pointing out when the path veered or when the prints led up onto a tree. His focus was intense, like this was second nature to him.

Suddenly, he stopped, scanning the branches above. His posture tensed as his eyes flicked to his right, across a small clearing. That’s when you both heard it—the chattering of a squirrel, hidden somewhere in the trees. Daryl glanced back at you, pressing a finger to his lips to signal silence. Then, with practiced precision, he raised his crossbow. Despite its size, the weapon seemed like an extension of him. He took aim, waiting for the right moment. When the squirrel ventured down to the center of the trunk, Daryl released the arrow. It flew through the air, striking the target with deadly accuracy.

"Wow!" you whispered excitedly, running up behind him as he approached the tree. "Where’d you learn to do all this?"

Daryl crouched by the tree, yanking the arrow free from the squirrel’s chest and tying the small creature to the strap of his crossbow with a piece of rope. "Have to eat somehow," he replied quietly, his voice distant.

You paused at that, his words sinking in. Sure, you had to fend for yourself most days, but you always managed to find a way to get food. Your mom was a mess, but there were usually a few crumpled dollars in her purse you could get away with stealing. But Daryl…Daryl didn’t seem to have that luxury.

"Your parents...?" you started to ask, but trailed off when Daryl’s eyes met yours, hard and cold.

"Pops always said if we couldn’t figure shit out for ourselves, we’d never learn," he grumbled, tightening the rope around the squirrel. "Ain’t old enough for a job. Merle’s barely around since he turned 16."

A heavy silence settled between you. Daryl stared down at his hands, fingers fumbling with the rope, his face tense.

"Sometimes I steal my mama’s money out her bag to buy somethin’ from the corner store," you admitted quietly, glancing away. You didn’t know why you said it—it wasn’t something you told anyone. But with Daryl, it felt like you could share that secret.

Daryl’s eyes flickered up to meet yours, then quickly darted back down. "If I ever tried that, I’d get whooped," he whispered, his voice tight. The weight of his words hung in the air, the reality of his life sinking in deeper.

For a long moment, neither of you said anything, standing there in the middle of the woods, two kids with too much weight on their shoulders. Finally, Daryl cleared his throat and looked up at you, trying to change the subject. "You got a crossbow at home?"

You shook your head, a small smile tugging at your lips. Daryl let out a long breath, nodding. "Right. Well, let me show ya how to make a snare, for the little guys like this. For when I ain’t around."

The way he said it—for when I ain’t around—made your chest tighten, but you just nodded. You followed him closely, watching his every move as he showed you how to set a snare, feeling, for the first time in a long while, like maybe you weren’t so alone.

[cultofdixon]

You made it, dumbass

Daryl Dixon [ROMANTIC] | Glenn Rhee [PLATONIC] • She/Her Pronouns • Even when the illness was starting to take the lives of those within the prison. These two were keeping it together, even if death tried taking them. • ANGST/SFW • TW: Illness / Anxiety / Hallucinations

Requested by: Anon

The prison was starting to feel like home

Then Patrick started eating people…

“Locking up people like animals. Where have I seen that before” Y/N scoffs as she was being updated by Glenn on the illness situation in the prison fields.

“…We live in a prison. Are you referring to a prison?”

“I don’t think I like what I was implying and you saying an obvious answer”

“There’s more than one??” Glenn looks at his best friend confused watching her deadpan expression burn a hole into him. “Yeah okay so there is. Anyway, we just need to be careful. We’ve already been exposed by taking care of the outbreak. We don’t need another one happening”

“If I get sick it’d be obvious.”

“You are a baby when you’re sick” Glenn states only for Y/N to punch him in the arm making him laugh while she tried hard not to.

The mood changed slightly when Glenn noticed Y/N looking over at Daryl while he talked to Rick. She always knew how to keep a blank expression to avoid people questioning how she felt in the moment through body language. But there was a sadness and worry in her eyes that Glenn always noticed.

“He’s an ox, Y/N. I don’t believe he’ll get sick”

“It’s…never too early to worry for your partner no matter how new the relationship is right?” She frowns looking to Glenn as he shook his head.

“I wasn’t even anything with Maggie yet and I still worried for her.” and that led to Glenn thinking about his wife. They just had a scare. Now there’s this whole new threat.

Both of them thought

If it had to get to them, they’d rather die than have their partners face it.

“You’ve seen Y/N?” Daryl approaches Glenn knowing that she’s either with him or alone but given she wasn’t in her cell, he was the next choice.

“Uhm. Last I checked she was working on the fence since we are overloading again…hey if you run into Maggie can you tell her to meet me in our cell?” He frowns slightly given to how he was currently feeling inside as Daryl nods before letting him go and heading outside.

If I could fight the sun I fucking would right now Y/N frowns leaning against her spear as she gripped it for dear life.

It was a normal hot summer. But to Y/N, she felt like she was experiencing all the different levels of hell.

As she pulled the bandana down from her face hoping to get some air. Y/N’s senses got the best of her resulting in an immediate headache as she currently was fighting the thought of ‘don’t collapse’ over and over again. It felt like a trigger clicked in Daryl’s mind to go check on his girl and when he did, Y/N was on her knees in the gravel trying not to let the weight take her fully.

“Y/N…SUNSHINE!” Daryl yells as he went to a full on sprint over to his girl quickly tossing the spear away and carefully picking her up. “Hey stay awake alright?”

“It’s too hot to…” Y/N groans when she was lifted off the ground, weakly returning the bandana over her nose and mouth to avoid the spread to Daryl.

Not like the man cared as he was currently speed walking to A-Block. Halfway there the two ran into Maggie helping Glenn to the block with one of his arms draped around her shoulders.

The two healthy individuals shared an anxious expression until that anxiety subsided only for a second.

Glenn flinched hearing Y/N cough for like an hour within a few seconds. Sounded like she coughed up a lung and the lung actually ejected from her.

“Holy fuck—Don’t die!”

Y/N immediately glared at the man as they were now walking in a group to A-Block. “Don’t tell me what to do bitch”

Daryl couldn’t help his annoyed groan that escape. “I swear—y’all only have one braincell and it’s shared between yea”

“Seriously” Maggie agreed before being pulled back when Glenn didn’t pay attention to where they were going and slammed himself into one of the prison pillars. “Jesus Christ—-“

The archer tightened his grip on Y/N listening to her laugh at what happened as his anxiety started to get worse thinking this could be the last time he hears that. But the way her expression instantly changed when looking up at him. Oh she always knew when he worried.

Once the two were in the block safely, Maggie and Daryl were kicked out. Given they were healthy still and Hershel didn’t want to risk losing 2 of his kids along with someone he considers family.

Not that their significant others being sick lead to this plan—-but it heavily influenced Hershel’s urgency.

“Maggie”

The worried Rhee quickly turned to Daryl who shared the same level of concern she was enduring. He was about to leave to get the medicine when part of him needed to ask Maggie for a favor. But the words weren’t coming out.

“What is it Daryl?”

“…if she dies, don’t sugarcoat it for me” Daryl spoke through a whole lot of pain he was pushing down into the earth as he didn’t want it to happen. He was afraid the second he leaves something bad would happen.

But with the way Maggie was looking at him. She had the amount of hope to carry them both.

“It won’t happen. I’ll do whatever I can to prevent it from happening” so will Hershel.

The two who were suffering from the illness laid on either side of the conjoined wall. Y/N did her best to keep herself awake even if her body was fighting against her. She felt as if she closed her eyes, that it would be over. Glenn was a bit healthier than her and without exposing her more to the illness he did his best to help.

Just by talking.

“You remember that house that collapsed before we reached the prison?”

“Mhm…”

“Yeah, that was me.” Glenn laughs slightly, holding his ribs because his lungs were straining. “Maggie and I wanted to be alone for a moment while we were house hopping for those months. But the house we were trying to yknow…was on its last legs. That when we left, I shut the door. And the whole thing came crashing down”

“Remind me when we get a house that you ain’t closing the door” Y/N laughs weakly as she listens to Glenn laugh from the other side while she slouches slightly. “When Daryl and I…first got together we were being very sneaky about it around the prison since we technically gotten together at the farm…we were in one of the watch towers minding our business”

“Oh no” Glenn smiles a bit listening to Y/N struggle to laugh and compose herself.

“I was on shift. He wasn’t. Nothing was happening so we thought…yknow. Then time went by and I forgot my shift was over…and good ol Rick came up and wished out loud that he never see what he saw again” Y/N smiles from the other side pressing herself firmly against the wall as she gripped tightly onto her shirt feeling the tears form.

“At least you didn’t have Daryl yelling at you from the yards while you and your girl were…yeah” Glenn laughs remembering that moment fondly, but when he didn’t hear a reply back. His tired overwhelmed body as quick as it could got up from the bed tiredly making his way to Y/N’s.

His anxiety started screaming.

“HERSHEL!” Glenn yells out even if it ended in a coughing fit afterward as he sat on the edge of Y/N’s bed holding her head up shaking her slightly. “You can’t die. You can’t die. You can’t die” he kept repeating until Hershel arrived quickly approaching and checking her pulse.

Weak, but there.

“No!”

“Yer sick too Glenn, and we don’t—-“

“I-I’m not leavin’ Y/N unless I f-fucking have to” Glenn covered his mouth in his elbow coughing up a lung.

“Son, I can’t—-“

“NO!” He snaps through tears not leaving her side despite everything Hershel was telling him. “She was the first person I saved when all hell broke loose…she became my fucking best friend within days. Days! Before the quarry group we would talk about the past and what we feared most…she feared dying. Dying alone and having no one love her. Well she’s my best friend. My family and I love her! And I know Daryl does too even if his stubborn ass won’t say it out loud. I’m not f-fucking leaving her” he sobbed as he was glued to Y/N’s side not budging even with Hershel’s protesting. But Hershel wasn’t leaving either.

________

“You think they’ll find a cure?” Glenn questions Y/N as they were sat on top of the building part of their group was held up in.

“I don’t know. It got out of hand, kind of”

“Mm…”

“But I hope so. Or at least a way to save those who’ve gotten bitten yknow?” Y/N shot Glenn a reassuring smile. “The world has always worked weirdly. Maybe something will happen. Maybe not. Just as long as I’m not facing it alone, I’m good to wait it out”

“Is that what you’re afraid of?”

“Huh?”

“Being alone in this?”

“Who wouldn’t…but I was afraid of that even before the outbreak happened.” Y/N kicked her feet on the edge of the roof looking down at the sea of walkers. “I hate being alone”

“Welp! You got me!” Glenn smiles wrapping his arm around her shoulders getting a laugh out of her. “And maybe even…the guy you like back at the camp?” He teased watching her face turn red. “I’ve seen how he looks at you”

“Glenn Rhee! Shut the fuck up!” Y/N laughs elbowing him gently.

“What! The Dixons scare the fuck out of me but the youngest one always has his eye on yea and…” He leans into his best friend. “Vise versa” and that led to her contemplating pushing him off the building.

At least they were feeling better about it all…

________

At least they were feeling better.

Glenn suddenly woke to a tube down his throat and both Greenes towering over him to get it out. And to also rejoice that he made it through this hell. Daryl’s group returned with the medicine and everything was going fine. Then his anxiety got the best of him making him weakly get up.

“No Glenn—-“

“Son, you’ve gotta lay down and rest”

“You’ve been out cold for a a day—-“

“A day?!” Glenn panicked as he quickly brought his body up, and immediately fell to the floor once he did. His body isn’t caught up with him yet.

The panic coursed through him enough to give him the adrenaline boost to get up off the ground, with some help, and to slowly but quick enough to the other cell. Expecting that since he was in another room…that…the unspeakable happened.

But when Glenn reached the cell with both Maggie and Hershel trailing behind him…all his worry washed away.

Daryl slowly looks up from the woman that comfortably laid in his protective embrace after returning from the medicine run. Y/N tiredly looks over to the three standing at the cell doors giving a weak smile.

“You made it dumbass” Her voice was hoarse from all the coughing she had done while the illness almost took her. “You almost died on me…”

“You almost died on me” Glenn frowns feeling the tears roll off his cheeks as he slowly approaches the two watching Daryl tighten his grasp on her resulting in Rhee holding his hands up slightly to show he wasn’t going to move her. He brought himself to sit on the ground by the bed as Maggie followed suit bringing herself close to her husband. “You didn’t wake up…you stopped talking and it freaked me out”

“Mm…I was just resting” Y/N jokes knowing damn well her body was giving up on her. The joke didn’t sit well with Daryl as his grasp on her made that clear. “I woke up when I needed to” and that brought out a bit of confusion to Glenn.

________

Her unconscious body laid there for what felt like days as Glenn did his best to stay awake even if his lungs were starting to fight him. Inevitably giving out.

The man toppled over and started coughing like a mad man. But he wasn’t coughing up air, it was phlegm and blood. Making him choke on it.

That felt like a trigger for Y/N as she weakly opened her eyes turning toward the display. She did her best to be quick and drag herself out of the bed resulting in a painful thud to the ground…bringing herself close enough to Glenn to roll him on his side so he doesn’t aspirate.

“Hershel!”

Oh thank god. Is what the doc thought initially until he came to the cell to see what was happening.

When he left then came back with the endotracheal tube and bag, Hershel got Glenn intubated and Y/N bagged him up until she couldn’t anymore. Hershel knew Sasha was strong enough to help as he called out for the girl to keep bagging Glenn while he took Y/N to another cell to check her. He was thankful her body would shut down only to protect herself, and not flood her lungs…

Or only one of them would be alive.

________

Thank god they both were

“No more almost dying for the both of yea” Maggie states, more so threatens. Making them both laugh as Daryl couldn’t agree more. “Now come on. You gotta rest too…and preferably on a bed”

Once Maggie helped Glenn up and out of the cell to his own bed. Y/N looked up at Daryl from the position she was in, knowing he’s been awfully quiet ever since she woke up.

“You okay, love?”

Daryl locks eyes with her brushing away the stray hair that covered her face keeping his hand placed on her cheek. Her smile slowly breaking out and always warming his heart.

“I am now”

“You know I’m not going anywhere…”

“Yeah, and I’ll make sure of it”

[deansapplepie]

Till THE DEAD do us part | Chapter 6

A/N: This story will take place in all the seasons, but it’s not exactly a rewriting cause I’d have to re-watch everything to use the exactly lines of the characters, also I think it’s better if I tell a side story without changing the main facts of the story.

This story has a Female Reader, but I don’t describe her appearance, so anyone can identify with her.

Chapter 5 Chapter 7

Chapter 6: Are ya blind?

Summary: The group continues the search for Sophia in the next day, everybody is tired and stressed and a few quarrels happen here and there. Also, some accidents in the worst moment for the group bring more worry while they’re still looking for the little girl.

Warnings: swearing, fluffy, angsty, violence, mentions of death, blood, injuries, a child is hurt, pain. Minors do not interact.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Grimes!Reader (Rick’s Sister)

Word Count: 3,806

Extra notes: I proofread the text, but English is not my first language, so feel free to correct any mistakes, of course with love. I’m consulting a timeline of everything that happened, but it can happen that I put events out of order, but I don’t think it’ll make much difference in the story. ALSO, I’m praying my Daryl isn’t too out of character.

The next morning the group agreed to go together into the woods and look for Sophia. Rick and Shane were arming everyone while you took your gun, put it on your waist and on the other side your knife. You had your backpack ready just waiting everyone to go in the search.

Andrea was arguing with Shane, Rick and Dale because she wanted a gun. You understood her grieving and all, but she was starting to get on your nerves. You didn’t want to stress so you chose to stay away from the discussion. Why couldn’t she understand that the gun was to be used as a last resource and you were better off using anything silent? You tried to not enter on the discussion, it was until Andrea brought you into it.

“How come Y/N can have a gun?” She said, you rolled your eyes and before Shane or Rick could say anything you saw yourself in the quarrel.

“Because I have a fucking license Andrea! I was trained, I know how to use a gun. This isn’t because you’re a woman or I’m being favoured because I’m Rick’s sister or whatever is going on your mind.” Your blurted out, she tried opening her mouth many times, but you didn’t let her speak without listening what you had to say. “I hope we don’t need to use the guns, and can do everything silently, but if we need I’d rather have a walker head shot than mine.”

“I’m gonna wait you guys in the woods, I’m tired of this shit. When you decide we’d better be looking for Sophia and not arguing, you can find me there.” You left. You were a little surprised for your outburst, but all this situation was beyond stressful. When you were in the woods you heard Luna’s cries and it broke your heart, but she was better staying behind with Dale and T.Dog.

After a while the others appeared in the woods and you started your searching for Sophia. The search was long and felt like you were going nowhere. If you were already stressed in the morning now you were like a time bomb. You came across a campsite and you just prayed that Sophia was there, but she wasn’t and it ended all of you.

You were continuing your search when you saw Shane being harsh with Carl and the boy running to his mother to complain about it. You yanked Shane by his arm and stayed behind.

“What’s your problem?” He asked.

“I’m the one that needs to make this question. What’s your problem? Why are you being an asshole to a child?” You confronted him, he was not going to treat Carl like this, not in front of you.

“I’m… Lori doesn’t want me close to her or Carl. I’m doing what she asked.” Honestly, you could punch him right at this moment and it would have made you feel so much better, but you chose to breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

“So you need to be a bitch to the kid? Did you listen or thought about any of the advices I gave you?” You were mad, and you couldn’t blame Lori, because if he did what you think he did, in her place you’d want him to be in hell. “Look, both of you put yourselves in this mess, and you know the correct thing to do. I love you Shane, I really do. But if I see you treating Carl badly again, I swear… I’ll forget all our years of friendship and I’m going to give you hell.”

With that you left him behind and caught up with the group again. You were all hopeless already, but then you listened to some bells, church bells and you all filled with hope, running in the direction of the sound. Arriving there you found nothing, just some walkers inside the church, no bell, no Sophia… Soon you heard the bells again and discovered it was a bell timer. You were upset, to say the least.

You all decided to go back to the road, but Rick didn’t want to stop, he was feeling guilty, you could see. Shane decided to stay back with him. Carl also asked to stay with them, you didn’t think it was a good idea. It was going to be dark soon, he was just a kid and should go to a safe place. For starters you didn’t even think he should have come with you to this search, even if he insisted Sophia was his friend and he should help. But, you were not his mother, you were his aunt and if his parents weren’t against it, who were you to say otherwise?

On your way back things got heated again because of Andrea being annoyed for not caring a gun. Lori told everything that she was thinking about all this gun thing and people blaming Rick, when he was the first to run to help Sophia. She was right. Since Lori had told Andrea off, you continued to walk without Daryl’s guidance, he was waiting for the others to continue their way. You heard a shot in distance, your heart jumped and you felt an anxiety building thinking that maybe something happened with them, but you tried to convince yourself that walkers don’t have guns, so who was probably hurt was a walker, not them. You walked a little more before deciding to stop and wait them by a tree, the last thing they needed right now was for you to get lost too. You walked in the direction of the tree to lean on it and when you were close… you let out a scream as you felt a sharp pain on your leg. You looked down and saw your leg, a lot of blood and a bear trap.

“Fuck me!” You shout, how could you be so careless and not look where you step? As soon as you screamed everyone ran in your direction, Daryl and Glenn were the first to arrive.

“Are ya blind? How the fuck did ya step in this?” Daryl was angry, from all the people with him at the moment you weren’t the one he was expecting to do some stupid shit. Don’t get him wrong, he was concerned, but he couldn’t help but feel angry.

“I’m making myself the same question, now it’s hurting like hell and I already got my punishment. Can you just take this thing from my leg?” It was such a horrible pain that it made you want to puke and tears that you were not able to control drop from your eyes.

“Glenn, listen to me. I’m gonna open it, so ya need to be fast and put this latch down.” Daryl instructed. “Pup, it gonna hurt more than hell but I need ya to take yer leg from it once I open it.”

“Ok” You nodded.

“Glenn, be prepared.” Daryl got on his knee and used his strenght to open the bear trap. You didn’t need to take your leg from the trap, because once you felt the stabbing pain of it coming out of your flesh you lost your balance and fell to the ground. Glenn put the latch down and the thing wasn’t at you anymore.

Daryl took a rag from his back pocket and put it around the wounded part of your left leg. He knew it wouldn’t be enough, but for now it was the best you could get. He didn’t even bothered to ask if you could walk, you were already in his arms being carried when he spoke. “Let’s go back now, we can’t stay here with Y/N bleeding this much.”

“I’m sorry” you said, you leaned your head on his chest and had your arms wrapped around his neck.

“About being blind and getting hurt?” He mocked you.

“That too, and for making you have to carry me.” You hated to bother people, but now you couldn’t do anything but rely on him.

“Ya’re not making me do anything, I’m doing it cause I want to.” It was true that the better thing for the group was to get as fast as possible to the road, you were bleeding and you’d walk very slow if you were to walk. But even if the world was like before and there were no blood thirsty dead people walking around, he’d not let you go by your own.

“Did you want to carry me Daryl?” You provoked, just a little and it was enough to make his cheeks tint lightly in red.

“Stop, or I’ll drop ya here.” He threatened you and you couldn’t help but laugh.

After some more minutes you were almost arriving at the highway when Andrea got attacked by a walker that pinned her to the ground. When you were going back to help her, a young woman in a horse hit the zombie with a bat saving Andrea. She stopped and gave the news, Carl had been shot and was in a farm with Rick and Shane being looked by a doctor. Fuck. That feeling you had, something really happened and it was with the most pure human being you knew.

Lori didn’t hesitate and got in the horse with the girl. Daryl tried to object about she going with a stranger, but you couldn’t blame her it was her son and the woman knew her name. She gave you instructions about how to get to the farm and left with the Lori galloping as fast as she could.

“She’ll be fine, the girl knew her name and talked about Carl. If they were in danger they would never tell where to find us and any of our names.” You tried to reassure Daryl, and one more time he asked himself if you were real, because your nephew got shot and he knew how much you cared for him, but still you were trying to calm him.

“How are ya feeling?” He asked you were the one that should be taken care of.

“The pain is a bitch, but I’m good.” You replied, that was not the answer he wanted.

“About Carl…” You felt the anxiety in the pit of your stomach.

“When I heard the shot, I knew something bad had happened… he shouldn’t have gone.” He felt your hot tears on his shirt, and the only thing he could do was caress your side where his hand was holding you.

“He’s gonna be fine, he’s young and strong.” He wasn’t so sure of his words and he didn’t know if they did any good to you, but he needed to try anything to make you feel better, even if it was just a little.

As soon as you got back to the RV, you told Dale and T.Dog about what happened. T.Dog wasn’t very well and needed antibiotics urgently. That’s when Daryl got some antibiotics from his bike, they were Merle’s.

“Glenn, T.Dog and Y/N ya should go to the farm. Ya both need medical care and Glenn know the directions to take ya there.” He handed T.Dog the medicine and then commanded you, “ya should take one too”

You all decided to let a signal for Sophia in case she returned, but you couldn’t stay more in road, so the others would head to the farm by the morning. You took your backpack and Daryl helped you get inside the car, you were followed by Luna that now wasn’t tied anymore, and you left.

Once you arrived at the farm Glenn helped you out of the car while Luna was already outside running circles around the car. The three of you went up the stairs and the boys were contemplating if they should knock on the door.

“Of course, this is someone’s house and we’re civilized people.” You said already going with your hand to knock on the door when the woman from earlier revealed herself sitting in the dark.

“Close the gate up the road when you drove in?" she asked.

“Yes.” That was what Glenn answered.

“Let’s come in.” She said with a smile. “I’m Maggie Greene.”

“Glenn Rhee, Y/N Grimes and T.Dog.” Glenn introduced all of you.

When you entered the house you saw Rick, Lori and an elderly man that you supposed was the doctor, at the bedside of Carl. When your eyes landed on your nephew so pale and weak, you couldn’t help but become emotional. You couldn’t fall apart right now you needed to be strong for Rick and Lori, but you couldn’t control your tears.

Rick got up and came to you hugging you. You could feel that the guilty was eating him. You tried reassuring him it wasn’t his fault and that Carl would be good. You went to Lori, feeling a stabbing pain at each step and hugged her too, God she needed that hug but what she needed the most was for her baby boy to wake up.

“I’m Hershel” the old man presented himself to you. “I know you want to be with your family right now, but we must take care of your leg first.”

You presented yourself and followed him, T.Dog did the same. He called a woman called Patricia to help him.

“Please take care of T.Dog first, I cleaned his wound yesterday, but today he had fever.” You informed. “I think he needs stiches, but I didn’t have the material or tools to do it.”

“Are you a nurse?” Hershel asked, by the way you spoke it seemed that you understood about.

“No, actually I’m a vet.” You confessed.

“Oh, I understand. Me too.” When he said he was also a veterinarian you were quite shocked. A vet was going to make a surgery on your nephew. “Quite shocking I know, but it have been useful for us medically speaking. I know I’m not the best option to save Carl, but I’m the only hope he has. I’m going to do everything I can.”

“I’m sorry for my reaction, it’s just that as a vet I’d never thought about taking care of people, but that’s probably the best we can do at this new world.” You said, he wasn’t wrong. A doctor probably was a rare thing to find nowadays and what use would veterinarians have in this world if they didn’t use their knowledge to help people.

When he saw T.Dog’s wound he instructed Patricia to clean and stich it. After he asked to see yours and states that you needed to clean it and get stiches too in the places the bear trap harmed you. While Patricia took care of T.Dog you stayed there in the kitchen’s chair waiting for your time, when Maggie came into the kitchen with Glenn and Luna following them.

“I see Luna already made a new friend” you commented. Maggie smiled petting her.

“She’s a very friendly dog. We used to have one too, I miss him…” she said with a look like she was remembering her old fur friend. “I’m surprised you came without your boyfriend, when he saw me earlier he was holding you like I’d steal you at any moment.”

“Oh, no! He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just friends. He was probably just concentrating on carrying me, I can be a little heavy sometimes.” Glenn and T.Dog exchanged a look, and Maggie had a knowing smile in her face, as if she knew everything about Daryl and you just with one interaction.

“They always say they’re just friends, but it’s not what it looks like.” Glenn sing songed and you gave him a small punch on his arm. “Ouch, I’m not lying.”

“I always tell, nobody have the courage to call him my boyfriend right at his face.” You said. “You’re all lucky I’m nice and I like you.”

Maggie giggled, you were a funny group, she thought. But she also knew they should be careful because they didn’t know any of you. After T.Dog was taken care of, Patricia took care of your leg, stitching all the 4 deep cuts the bear trap left. It wasn’t pleasant at all, but it was necessary so you had to be a big girl and bear the pain. You were relieved when she finished. She gave painkillers and antibiotics for you and T.Dog, also something to eat so your stomach wouldn’t hurt.

Later, Maggie showed you a bathroom and said you could take a bath. You lost no time. You took your backpack and cleaned yourself from the last days. When you finished you went to the living room and sat there waiting for any change or news. They were waiting Shane and a man named Otis to come back with the equipment so Hershel could do the surgery and increase the chances that Carl would survive.

Worry was consuming you… Carl was getting out of time and Shane hadn’t come back yet. He had already a seizure and Rick had donated to much blood, you offered yours, you had the same blood type. They didn’t accept, Hershel said you had lost much blood with your injuries.

Soon they decided to do the surgery without the anesthetic, Shane and Otis were taking too long. You headed outside, you didn’t want to stay inside, you were so afraid of the out coming of it. The possibility of Carl not surviving… you couldn’t bear it. When you stepped outside you saw a pick-up arriving and soon it was parked in front of the house. The others came outside to receive Shane, he had arrived just in time. But… where were the guy named Otis?

Shane explained he couldn’t make it, he sacrificed himself so the equipments could arrive to save Carl’s life. You learned the man was Patricia’s husband and Hershel asked for you not to tell her yet. When Shane stepped on the porch, you hugged him and thanked for getting what Carl needed. While some of them entered the house you opted to stay outside, you sat at one of the rocking chairs, Luna at your feet and closed your eyes feeling the cool breeze of the night.

When you opened your eyes it was day. ‘God, I slept on the porch!’, you thought. You got up and got inside, you saw Rick right when you entered.

“How was the surgery? How is Carl? I slept, I didn’t want to.” You said, your hands on his shoulders, analyzing his face trying to look for answers.

“Everything is good. He’s good…” Rick was emotional, you hugged him. Relieved The surgery went well. “I… I was so afraid.”

“I know… I know.” You caressed his back. “Me too, I’m so happy he survived.”

Beth, Hershel’s younger daughter, offered you Coffee and some toast, you thanked her and accepted. After that you took your medicine, your leg still hurt, a lot, but now it was a little bit better than the day before. You passed in the room to see Carl a little, you gave Lori a hug and kissed Carl’s temple. Then you let Rick and Lori with him, you were family, and loved the kid to the moon and back, but you didn’t want to be in their way or ruin their moment or anything.

You left the room and went to the porch, seeing Shane, Gleen and T.Dog collecting rocks for Otis’ grave. You shouldn’t be walking much, but you felt useless if you stayed doing nothing so you went in their direction when you saw the rest of your group were arriving. Daryl on his motorcycle and Dale, Carol and Andrea in the RV. You knew it must have pained Carol a lot to leave the last place where she saw Sophia, but you were happy to see they arriving.

You waited them to park and went in their direction. As soon as Daryl got off of his bike, you hugged him, you didn’t even thought about it. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss him, well you missed everybody. Also, you were worried about him, even if you were more in danger than him with your injured leg. He jumped at your hug, but when you were going to pull away, he hugged you back.

“How’s him?” He asked and it took you a little time to answer, you felt real good in his embrace as you exchange energies between you. Good energies.

“He’s good. He’s sleeping. Hershel did a surgery in him. We were so afraid he wouldn’t survive.” He was relieved to listen Carl was well. It would crush the group if he wasn’t, you already had a missing child and if Carl died, it wouldn’t be just sad for everyone, he knew it would break you.

“And ya? How’s yer leg?” He would be lying if he said he didn’t worry about you. He couldn’t see you, he didn’t know if you were alright. Carol spent the night crying and he also couldn’t stop thinking about her little girl. He even left at night with Andrea to look for Sophia, because his mind couldn’t just stay quiet.

“It’s good. I got stiches, painkillers and antibiotics. It still hurts, but that’s the consequence about stepping on a bear trap.” You left his embrace a little and he put one of his hands on your cheek. You eyed his face in awe, this moment, even in the worst time for your group was very intimate, even more intimate than the kiss you shared at the CDC.

Your parted from his embrace when Hershel appeared, presented himself and showed where you could set you camp. Your group left to the side of the property and started setting your new camp. It was good to have a new place again, even if it was temporary or in one of the worst situations all of you experienced.

Taglist: @sunnybunnyy2

[tearfallpixie]

Make Mama Happy - Chapter 10

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@lyschko666 @vinyardmauro @skulliecadaver-blog @some-daniela @latenightmusiclover @rye14-blog1 @somewhere-diamond @Shilohrosechicken @abiomens @awkwardalex @miss570

I don’t recall what it was that woke me but I did notice the warmth of the room when I did. I lifted my head a little and saw that the fire was smoldering in the fireplace so I glanced around and saw a soft light emanating from the kitchen down the hall.

“Hey baby. Is everything ok?” Vinny’s sleepy voice murmured.

“The powers back.” I mumbled. Everyone else was asleep so I didn’t know why he used the nickname but that wasn’t important right now. He hummed and leaned forward to kiss me deeply before sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I’ll just go double check that its all good and I’ll be right back.” He whispered, reaching over to squeeze my hand before standing up and padding downstairs. He was gone for a few moments and when I heard footsteps on the stairs again I pushed myself up, forgetting about my arm and letting out a whine. “Hey, you ok?” I looked up to see Vin returning to the room and nodded.

“Yeah, just… my arm.” I told him. He moved back over to me and took my hand in his to inspect the bandage.

“Its bled through a little. Let me change the bandage.” He went to un-tape the end, but I jerked my arm away.

“Stop.” I mumbled. I forced myself to my feet and moved away from the others, so I didn’t wake them.

“Chole.” He called softly, but I didn’t respond. “Baby, what’s wrong?” He asked, following me.

“Stop calling me that!” I snapped, moving up the stairs and into his room.

“Nichole, what’s going on?” Vinny groaned entering the room.

“Don’t call me that. Don’t be all fucking sweet. Just stop it!” I cried in frustration. He looked confused at that and closed the door behind him.

“Baby, I don’t understand. I thought we were happy.” He reached for me, but I swatted his hand away.

“Don’t fucking touch me. I’m not your baby. We were happy when in front of your parents but Vinny, come on. Its fake. This has all been fake and I-I cant keep doing this. I love your mother and father and I can’t hurt them anymore. I can’t lie anymore.” I sobbed.

“Nichole, just stop for a second.” He whispered moving closer to me and taking me into his arms.

“No-no. I won’t. I hate this. I hate you. You’re supposed to hate me.” I mumbled.

“Niki. I haven’t hated you for a while.” He told me. One of his hands moved up behind my head and pulled me into him until his lips were brushing mine. “and I don’t think you’ve hated me either.” My hands moved to his chest and I weakly tried pushing him away with no actual effort. I couldn’t deny that what he said was true.

“When?” I asked. I could feel his breath ghost over my cheeks, and it made me shudder.

“When you were forced to stay at my parents place with me during Thanksgiving.”

“But we had only been faking it for about a month. And half of that you were on tour.” I was confused. Why hadn’t he said anything before now? I gripped onto his shirt and buried my head into his neck with a frustrated groan.

“Yeah, well the time I did get to spend with you allowed me to see the real you. The goofy sensitive side of you. The silly side of you. The kind side of you. And I realized how harshly I had miss judged you.” He waited for me to say something, but I didn’t know how to respond. One part of my mind was trying to tell me this was fake, that he was just fucking with me to have a laugh later with Rick, but the other part could hear the truthfulness in his words. “Tell me you don’t feel the same and I will walk back down there and tell my parents right now. Tell them it was all fake and then you can go about your life and never have to speak to me again. I-“

“Vinny?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up and kiss me.” A massive grin spread across his face and he lifted me off my feet as his lips claimed mine. I let out a squeak and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, clinging for him to dear life while trying to kiss back through my laugher. His lips were rough and tasted like mint toothpaste as well as the underlying hint of red starbursts and it brought another giggle to my lip. Of course, that’s what he would taste like.

“What’s so funny?” He asked when he set me back down.

“You taste like starburst.” I teased.

“What? You have a problem with that?” He smirked, nuzzling into my head.

“Nooo.” I tried pulling away but he shoved me back until my legs hit the bed.

“Why don’t I believe you?” His voice was dropping low and his hands gripped my sides dangerously.

“Vinny, baby, not again.” I begged. He smirked as he twitched his fingers against my ribs.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He squeezed and made me squeak, falling back onto the mattress. I tried to scramble back but he quickly moved over me. “Where are you going?”

“Vinny-“ He was right on top of me now and I found myself moving my arms up around his neck, pulling him down so our bodies were pressed together.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up and kiss me.” I repeated. He pressed our lips back together as his hands moved down to the hem of my shirt and gripped my hips. My fingers laced in his tangled messy locks and tugged them a bit earning a moan from him. Suddenly it was my goal to hear that beautiful sound again. Cool fingers brushed my skin under my shirt and traced up my side.

“Baby, can I?” He whispered, giving a little tug to my shirt. I nodded and lifted my arms to allow him to pull the material over my head. Once I was shirtless, I tugged at his and pulled it over his head, relishing in the warmth of his skin pressed against mine. “So fucking beautiful.” He sat up on my hips as his hands continued tracing every inch of exposed skin until they reached my lacy bra. He ran his fingers under the edge of it and around to the back of my bra where he expertly undid the clasp. I helped him slide the material down my arms and he tossed it to the side before cupping my cheeks and giving me another kiss.

“Come on, up here baby.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me up to the pillows with ease.

“Oh, shit.” I gasped, clinging to his arm. He let out a soft chuckle and stripped us of the rest of our clothes. I glanced down once we were naked and nearly drooled at the size of his member. It stood proud and ready for what we were about to do and I couldn’t wait for it to be inside of me. As he lowered himself back down onto me I swore I could feel his erratic heartbeat through his chest and I could confirm that it matched mine, beat for beat.

“Liked that?” He teased me as his right hand slid down my body and drug my thighs apart. His member fell against me and the weight of it on my stomach pulled a whimper from my throat.

“Liked a man who can one handedly throw me around? Of course, I’m going to find that hot.” I scoffed playfully, trying not to give away that I was turned on as I was.

“Drumming builds a lot of muscle. Don’t be too surprised.” He brushed against my bud gently and made me whine as his moved down to my entrance. “So wet for me already. You really want this, don’t you?”

“Shut up asshole.”

“You really like telling me to shut up. I could just leave you here.” He joked, going to pull his hand away but I grabbed it to hold it in place, putting a little pressure on his finger. It was a silent plea to keep going and he understood.

“Please don’t.” I begged softly. He gave me a genuine smile and slipped his finger inside of me causing my walls to flutter at the intrusion.

“I was only joking baby. I couldn’t leave such a beautiful creature all alone and needy.” His tongue licked his lips to moisten them a little, and through the nearly pitch-black room, a simple nightlight the only thing casting a soft glow on the space, I could see the hunger in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to devour me and I was not about to stop him. Another finger worked itself beside the first, curling a bit and making me arch my back into the touch, using my arms to brace myself. Unfortunately I had forgotten about my injury and let out an almost inaudible hiss. “Careful with the arm baby. Here.” He grabbed my arm and put it above my head on the pillow so it was out of the way. He let go and I kept it there earning a smile from him. “That’s my good girl.” He placed a gentle kiss at the corner of my mouth and trailed several more down to my jaw making me shudder. After working me open with two of his fingers, he went to insert a third, but I shook my head and gave him a pleading look.

“Baby, I got to make sure you are all stretched out.” He whispered. I shook my head again and pulled his hand out and up to my chest. As my left hand held his hand there, my right took his member and lined it up with my entrance.

“Please.” I murmured. He let out a deep breath as his hips twitched, dragging his tip along my core and leaking pre-cum on my skin. I tugged him down and connected our lips in a messy kiss, at the same time wrapping one of my legs around his waist and pressing his tip past my entrance. He jerked back and hissed, rolling his pelvis a tiny bit farther into me.

“Fuck, Pokie.” He growled, easing forward a little bit more. The more he moved, the more he stretched me around him, and it made me moan. He was easily the biggest I had ever had; all my exes having been pretty average, but I don’t think I would ever be able to go back after this. When he bottomed out, he had to freeze and catch his breath. “You feel amazing around me. Shit. Took me so well too baby.”

“Vinny, need you.” I begged. He brushed some hair out of my eyes and kissed my forehead before pulling out of me and pressing back in.

“You have me baby. I’m right here. I’m all yours.” I clinched around him and whined as his hands trailed down to my hips and gripped them tightly to give himself more leverage to set a steady pace in and out of me. I tried arching up into him but his hold on me didn’t allow for any movement on my part, making me feel tiny and useless. In a moment of brief clarity I remembered that his family was just downstairs.

“Vin- what about-“

“They’re on the other side of the house. They won’t hear us.” He promised. That was enough to shut me up and allow him to keep man handling me and moving our bodies in sync. Despite the promise of them not being able to hear I kept trying to hold back my noises and found very quickly that he didn’t like that. “Let me hear you, Pokie. I want to know how good I’m making you feel.” He gave a particularly hard thrust into me, making me let out a cry. He smirked and peppered kisses all over my face. “That’s my good girl.”

He was driving me so close to the edge that I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to hang on. We had a rocky start to our relationship but in that moment, I was glad that we got snowed in. I’m sure we may have worked things out despite this but the close proximity probably helped. Part of my brain still was trying to convince me this was still a joke but with the way he was being so gentle with me told me the truth. This was real, he was real, and he was mine now. And I wasn’t about to let that go.

“I can feel how close you are baby. Let go for me. Come around my cock.” He ordered. “I’m so close too. Can I come inside you? Please.” His demands turned into pleading, and his thrusts became unsteady, showing me how close he was to his release too.

“I’m on the pill” I whispered, and that was it. He gave three more thrusts into me and sent me over the edge and came crashing into his orgasm right after me, both of us panting to catch our breaths. “Shit.” I gasped.

“That was amazing.” He mumbled, easing out of me and collapsing on the pillow next to me. I rolled onto my side to face him and snuggled under his chin.

“What does this mean for us?” I asked once we had settled down. He adjusted us a little so that we were under the covers and held me to his chest. He was sweaty which would normally annoy me but i couldn't care. Especially when his scent washed over me. It was a mix of sweat and a hint of campfire smell which probably came from making the fire earlier in the night and the combination of the two was somehow delicious and relaxing.

“I hope it means that we can start over and I can take you on a proper date now.” He teased me.

“I would like that a lot.” We were silent for a moment longer until I spoke again. “Can we just … maybe not tell your parents about this?” I begged. "I mean, about this being fake?"

“That would probably be for the best.” He chuckled. “Lets get some more sleep baby. Its still late. We can talk more tomorrow ok?”

“Ok. I love you.” I murmured through my yawn as my eyes drifted shut.

[little-reader]

"The Son of A Monster." Ch. 7

Masterlist

Warnings; Graphic Gore, Death, blood, Slow-burn, Sexual tension, Gay awakening (For both), Cursing, Negan is the Readers dad, Enemies to lovers story. Fighting. Zombie Apocalypse.

I was more than pissed when I found out what happened under my nose. He played me and kept me away from the group so they could go against the rules. I sharpened my knife, hearing the metal scrape against each other. I left my bat at the Grime’s home. It was thing after thing. I messed up too much. I was messy. I was never, ever messy, not like this, I haven’t been in a while. They're gonna throw me off the job. He’ll kick me down a level.  Damn, damn… “Damint!” I shouted, throwing my knife at the wall in a quick motion. I felt my chest heave. My fingers twitched in their gloves, and the river ran down my face as I felt my eyes sting.

Crying. I was… crying. I got up, and walked into my bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror. What am I? Was I mean? Cruel? Or had I finally changed? I wasn’t allowed to change. My mind ran with thoughts as I stared at myself in the mirror. It was like I was breaking down for No. Damn. Reason. And after all these years? This is the time?

I wiped my face quickly. But they kept coming until I was looking at myself sobbing. Disappointment. That was the look he gave me. “Fuck.” I ran my hands down my face, they left a mark. I turned the handles and let the water spill into the sink as I slashed my face. 

I took a quick breath in, then out. I was aiming to calm myself down. 

I ended up on my bed. Staring at the ceiling as my TV buzzed in the background. I sighed and closed my eyes. Knowing tomorrow can’t wait.

-

The cars shook my body. It was like the first time I came here. With a rifle in my hand, and a pistol in my belt. I sighed, cracking my neck as I looked out the window. I wasn’t allowed to bring my bike. My dad told me, “It’s punishment.” and left it at that. The silence was too quiet. It gave the atmosphere a slightly awkward tone. I didn’t sleep much; you could see it in my eyes. The redness from crying showed from a mile away. Though, he said nothing and barely spared me a glance.

I could feel the drowsiness go through my body as time skipped and we were already here. I was standing in front of the car, staring at the walls. I wasn’t sure what he had planned, but I would only have to see. I sighed. Waiting for this to just pass by. A coffin was beside him, Negan, and so was Eugene as Rick stood at the top of the gate with a gun to his head by a woman.  It wasn’t the right Grimes. Not the one I wanted to see at least. I sighed at my thoughts. I dug my foot into the ground.

Finally, I see Carl lift his head about the gate, string at the coffin as Negan talks. I raised interest. I look over, finally tuning into what he is saying. “-and not killing all of you, could get complicated.” More people from the top gate started rising. Guns to their head. I felt my heart flutter with anxiety. Negan pointed at Rick for just a second and kept going. “See, I know there's a lot of firepower left in there, Rick.” He took a quick pause as Carl glanced at me, his eyes narrowing at my state as I clenched my jaw and looked at my boots. “So imma make this simple. I want all the guns you’ve managed to scrape up…yup, I know about those too. I want every last grain of lemonade you’ve got left, I want a person of Your own choosing.” I watched him point to his bat and flick his eyebrows. “For Lucille.” I was tuned back out, as I looked over the people. He started to talk to Daryl, the man that got out. He flicked his bat around and motioned me closer. 

“C’mon rick… Just because I brought her in a casket, doesn’t mean she has to live in it.” I stepped up, placing down my rifle. He sighed and rubbed his eyebrows. “You know what.” He called, looking up at Rick. I could tell he was getting frustrated. “You suck ass, Rick, You really do. I don’t wanna have to kill her, but that's exactly what your gonna make me do.” 

“Let me see her,” Rick spoke up, hands on his hips. I Peered up, looking at Rick, then Carl. Carl looked pissed but had no fear whatsoever in his eyes. \\

Negan smiled and laughed. “Alright. Just gimmie a second. I might have to get her up to speed, can’t hear shit inside this thing.” He grinned, before motioning for me to pull it open. I grabbed onto the rim as he tapped twice with his bat. I started to open it. “Sash, you're not gonna believe this crap.” 

“Holy, godamn.” I what I heard as my dad fell off of the truck, with Sasha, who’s dead and now a biter, on him. My eyes widened as gunshots went off. Carl started shooting. Then when Daryl and the rest of them. I felt one whiz by me as I climbed down and covered my head, I grabbed my pistol, but there were no openings to where I could peer out and shoot. 

“Fuck.” I cursed. Some of the shooting calmed down but continued as I crawled over to the edge of the truck. I was able to run over to the car that was at the gate of Alexandria. I could hear screaming. It was either my dad or one of his men. 

The shooting hadn’t stopped. My eyes started to ring as moved in, shooting a few of them down. I was able to hide behind a brick wall for a while. Checking myself for any bullet wounds. My adrenaline was high enough to not feel it. 

Another mistake. I felt the barrel of a gun press against my head. “Drop it.” I wasn’t sure who it was, but it wasn’t one of us. I slowly slid my gun to the ground. There was no more shooting that I could hear. I Felt my gun belt be flicked off of my hips, and my pistol be thrown. I could move. But that could cost me my life. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out.

I felt my head hit the ground sharply, the rocks dug into the side of my face, and I could almost feel my skin ripping. I groaned and closed my eyes again. “You're gonna pay for what they did to us. You're his stupid son.” The man sounded hesitant as I gave him a side look. “Maybe he’ll stop when you're dead.” That made me laugh. “What, you're about to die, and you're laughing. Fuckin’ psycho, just like you Dad.” I sigh and my laughing comes to a stop.

“Who the Fuck says I’m dyin’?” I stated, grinning at him. The butt of the gun hit my shoulder, making me groan. 

“Me, you gonna die, for them, fo-” I interrupted him. “Alexandria, blah fucking blah. Do you think you're the only dumbass to tell me this? You think you're the only man I’ve killed?” He looked confused as I smiled. He was pulled down in a matter of a second. My hand had a firm grasp on his ankle as I pulled him over. His gun was knocked behind him when he fell. I quickly grabbed the knife hidden in my pants and stabbed it into his ankle. 

I heard his scream as he looked down at his leg, and groaned. I pushed myself off slowly as he started to crawl for the gun. I huff, and pull him closer, now climbing up on him. I lifted my knife and went for his head. 

He grabbed my arms, one of his hands going for the knife as I started to push down. I barred down, my teeth grinding together. Shit. Shit... SHIT. This could be where it ends for me. I could be dead. A Seventeen-year-old vs. a man. I was shoved off of him, his strength overpowering mine. I flipped over, screaming as I fell onto the knife I held in my hand. I plunged through my side. I groan loudly, and that turns into a scream. I felt tears run down my face as I stared at the knife. Blood started to gush out from around the knife as I tried to control my breathing. 

It wasn’t too bad. Was it? I don’t think it pierced any arteries. Get the fuck up. I felt everything go in slow motion. Things started to move slowly as I tried to look around. 

-

“Where is y/n?” Negan asked, already having Carl on his knees. Rick was approaching, with Judis, her gun to his head. Negan motioned to right beside Carl.

“Hello again.” He said, standing behind Dwight Rick held his side as Judis told him to get down. “Well, shit rick.” You could still hear a few shots going off. “You just couldn’t stick with us, huh... You had to go with these… Filthy garbage people.” He paused and looked at Judi's. “No offense. 

“Deal is for twelve, yes?” Judis asked. 

“Ten… People are a resource.” 

“Twelve.” It was more of a whisper when she said it. Negan sharply stared at her and she gave up. “Ten.” She backed away from him. Negan smiled and chucked, then looked straight at Rick and sighed. “Rick… This is just gonna make you sad. Broken. Your gonna wish you were dead.” He sighed, walking around them. “I like having fun, I do. But maybe you think that the guy that did what he did to your friends wasn’t me.” He looked at them, disappointment was clear in his features. “Like that was some sort of a put-on, Like I’m not the guy with the bat, I’m just the guy that makes your kid spaghetti!” He raised his voice, tilting his body as Rick shifted his seat.

Rick looked at him, there wasn’t much to say. “Oh, h shit.” He paused, dramatically touching his brow. “Maybe this is on me, maybe this is all on me.” He laughed a bit. “I gotta make it right. I guess I gotta start ALL over again.” He gave a slight gesture to Carl, who looked at him through his hat... “Now my son… I would want him to be just like your son... They're like the same person… Which makes this, so much harder.” 

That's when Carl spoke up. “You're not gonna win.” He glared at negan. 

“Carl.. It is over.” Negan said, leaning forward slightly, “Why don’t you point your one ball down the street there, and take it all in.” He said, motioning to the blank street. There was a scream from a building like someone was thrown off of it.

-

Get the fuck up. Get the fuck up.

I screamed as the fire grew around me the camp started to grow with flames, some attaching to the trees. “I’m sorry.” I pleaded as I was shoved into a tree. “I-I didn’t mean to, I swear. Please-” The back of a hand hit my cheek, leaving a burn, I fell face-first into the mud as people tried to put out the fire. 

“Little Shit! Look at what you fucking done now! Always with you.” I was kicked as I screamed in pain. “Always whining to your daddy about someone or something. You goddamn baby.” Another hit. I felt Bert climb onto me. I felt a knife slice through my shirt and dig into my skin as I cried for help. People only spared glances my way. I tried pushing him away but his knife slit down my arm. “After I'm done slicing you up, I’ll leave you for the biters, tell yer daddy you ran off and found ya dead.” Another cut. 

I slightly opened my eyes, and the knife was plunged into my stomach as someone was on my hips. My mind started to replay. The pain. Bert. The fire. And the goddamn knife that threatened to go into my skull. I felt pain as I ripped out the knife in my stomach and plunged it into his neck. Blood started to spray out of his neck and all over me as he fell over, blood choking him and spilling out of his mouth. I held my side and heaved.

I left a handprint on the side house I was at. I made my way inside and into the bathroom before raiding their towels and alcohol. I made it to the kitchen, holding my would with a towel as I searched through the drawers. I put a knife over a lighter until the metal turned red. The knife didn't hit anything too bad. I lifted my shirt as I placed another towel in my mouth and breathed in and out. I shouted through the towel and closed my eyes tightly, before throwing the knife to the other side of the room and gripping my side. I poured the alcohol over it and wrapped a bandage over my side. I took out the towel and sighed, keeping my hand on my side. 

To any normal person, I looked insane. Blood covered my face, and hair, and stained my clothes. I was clutching my side slightly, letting the pain subdue from the pain medication I took. I chugged water before pushing myself off of the counter and made my way out of the home. Where am I going? Dead bodies were scattered everywhere with blood dripping from them. There were a few people on their knees, with my people looking down at them. I looked like death as I approached them. “Hey,” I called out, they looked over, and their eyes widened a little. ”My dad alive?” I asked. 

“Yeah… uh, he’s in that direction.” One of them pointed and I only nodded, making my way there, a little slower than I would have liked. “Damn… one strong fuckin’ kid.” 

As I approached, I could see my dad from a distance. I heard a scream from a building, and I looked over quickly. Someone fell off. “Goddamn,” I mutter and continued. I got quite a few stares, from all sides of the damn feud. Including Carl, who furrowed his eyes at me, ignoring what Negan was saying. 

My dad raised his bat as I was a few steps away from him. “Dad, what the hell,” I yelled, making him stop as he was about to swing. “ Dad, stop, please.” I heard him say and motion with his fingers.

“Sorry kid, Punishment has to be in order.” He raised the bat again.

“Dad no. Please, he’s only fifteen, he’s younger than me.” I shouted, trying to pull myself out of the man's grip. “You fucking dick, I fuckin’ hate you” I cried out, my face now turned into an aggressive snarl. He goes to swing. A roar sounded behind him as I fucking tiger sprang out and grabbed one of Negan’s men. The men grabbed me and let me go in shock as people started to come out behind the house with guns, shooting their way through. The screaming from the guy was loud and my ears began to ring. Loud. My eyes became blurry. Shit. It wasn’t supposed to go down like this. 

I could hear yelling, both pain and hardship. I looked around. It was all slow motion again. Just like before. I was shutting down again. It was just too much. The two men beside me were dead. I didn’t bother sparing a glance their way. My dad managed to get cover. My eyes moved around the scene as I covered my ears. Will I die here? Where's Iris? Who are these people> It's all falling apart. Just like home. Just like Bert's camp and that stupid  fucking pot. Why couldn’t I spot it from the beginning? How did he do it? It’s my fucking fault, it's always my fault. If I just did my job right and stopped being a goddamn kid, this would have happened. If I could just lock my feelings away... If… 

I felt numb. I lay there on the ground, with my hands on my ears and staring at the sky. “Why is it always my fault?” I whispered to myself. I feel myself almost sobbing as I grip my ears. I felt my body ache as I tuned out the screaming and sun whizzing by my head as I stood. People pushed past me as I made it to a gun on the ground. I cocked it and rubbed my thumb over the handle. “I’m not built for this world.”

I placed the gun to my chest. The front touched my chest, where my heart lay. My thumb stayed on the trigger as I looked down at it. It pushed into my clothes. I sighed, turning the gun sharply and shooting. One of His men. One after another, I took them out. Watching the look of betrayal on their faces. 

“God damn assholes,” I muttered.

I saw him. It wasn’t that hard. Carl had a rifle in hand, shooting at Negan's men like he wasn’t about to die. What I also saw. My dad drove off with his middle finger out. Motherfucker.

-

“They retreated,” Rick said, looking at his group. They searched the area in a matter of seconds.

“Hey, Rick.” The group turned to see Carl with one of Negan's men, his arm wrapped around Carl's head. “This is for Negan.” He cocked his Gun, 

-

I limped around, I saw him leave, most people were at the gate. I could feel the burn in my side and the ache of my body. I cracked my neck. A man was standing in the middle of the road. Carl's hat was in the grass, where I stood, beside the road. I grabbed the hat, running my hand over it. Blood splatters caked the leather and gold print. I looked over. Carl. With one of Negan’s men. Grimy asshole. I cocked my gun. 

“This is for Negan-” A shot rang. The man's brains were blown in a matter of seconds and Carl stood in shock. Wondering if he were dead or not. My hair was thrown over my eyes as they pointed their guns at me. I stared at Carl, my gun smoked from its rim as it still pointed at the man on the ground. His blood sprayed on the concrete and his brains spilled from his head. Something I’ve seen often.

“Fuck. Negan.” I started as I kept my hand on my stomach. I felt the sharp pain from my side as my adrenaline started to fade away. “And fuck you all,” I pointed the gun around at the group, then at Carl. I was coughing slightly. My stomach was turning into a building pain as I flinched. Carl looked… worried, possibly, and pissed. “You're a little shit.” I pointed at him. I held three fingers up. “You almost died three fuckin’ times. Three.” I said, heaving in the air. I blink at him. People looked confused. They weren’t sure what I was gonna do. Their guns stayed trained on me. God, my heart hurts. My head hurt, damn, my everything hurt. He was okay. A few scratches though, on his arms where his flannel was rolled up to his elbows. His eyes held wonders that bloomed in between the lines and colors.

“You look like you’ve done the same.” He says, basically a whisper. He gave me a good look over, mainly staring at my hand that covered a blood-stained patch. I wouldn’t be able to stand for much longer, It already felt as though I was gonna slip. I looked at his hat in my hand, and I tipped over to him. I placed it on his head. 

“I think I’m… I…” I paused as I looked down at him. “You… just.” I sighed, dropping my gun. I placed my hand on his cheeks and rubbed them. They were soft under my hard calluses, giving a soft tone to the rest of his face which was scattered with freckles and thin strands of hair. “Why can’t I just…” I couldn’t spit out the damn word to save my life. It felt like the words I wanted to say were choking me, leaving me with little breath and tears. “I just want you,” I whisper, my face has a saddened look. I ran my finger down to his jaw and watched his eyes. They bore into mine as I tilt my head. His hands were now on my wrists. I dipped my head down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. I felt his hair cover the tips of my fingers as I cupped his jaw. It was then, Rick motioned for the guns to be lowered, seeing no threat. “Fucking.. Woody.” I mumble, pushing myself away from him as I feel my body start to slip in and out of reality. 

-

I was five years old. My mother grasped my hand as we walked around the river in the woods. I looked up at her with a gleaming smile in my eyes. 

I was six when I hit the first ball my dad threw at me, he lifted me onto his shoulders and started dancing around. 

I was Seven when I built a baseball bat out of Marconi for my dad, with help from my mother's gentle hands.

I was eight when I entered my first baseball game. My team didn’t win, but I was still given ice cream that day. My dad and mom gave me their cherries.

I was nine when I and my mother started walking to the beach every morning.

I was ten when I ran my first home run. My teammates lifted me into the sky as my dad clapped.

I was eleven when I started making comics for my mom.

I was twelve when I played family games after supper. They let me win sometimes. 

I was thirteen when my dad was in a Jail cell, I had to quit baseball.

I was fourteen when…things fell apart.

I was fifteen when I watched my dad turn into someone else. He killed Bert.

I was sixteen when I saw him kill over and over.

I was seventeen… I am seventeen. 

I cough a little before opening my eyes. The room felt bright. My eyes strained. I felt empty. I looked around the room, as my eyes adjusted to the lighting. The same room where I had met Carl. The reason I had to look after him. I groaned and Held my head with my eyes now closed. It pounded lightly, I could feel the pulse on my temple as I rubbed them. My memories guided me through how I got here. A few flashes as I tried to remember what happened after I passed out.

“Shit,” I mumbled, my voice barely working as I sat up. I pushed myself into a sitting position, where my back slid against the back of the bed, but comfortable enough to where I wasn’t in pain. My wound was wrapped nicely, treated, and hadn't caused as much pain as my head. A water bottle stood short on my stand as I grabbed it and chugged, feeling some water slip down my cheeks. I wiped it with my cheeks and breathed slowly. 

I must have not been passed out long, considering I could still stand and move my legs. I was wearing a stupid blue gown and boxers underneath. The room was awkwardly silent and I could hear my every footstep as I tried to look for new clothes. I found some jeans, mine, in some drawers and yanked off the gown before slipping them on. My body was bandaged, and treated as I moved the IV out of my arm and removed the pulse thing off my finger. I forgot the name. 

I started to look around, in drawers, counters, the office they had placed there. Until I finally found a gun. It was loaded and ready. I heard footsteps outside the office. They panicking voices. 

“He's not here?” 

“What the hell do ya’ mean he's not here? Rick told you to have eyes in here at all times.” A gruff voice said to the other panicked man. Daryl and Toby. If I wasn't wrong. “Check the office, I'll check outside.” I heard him huff and a door shut as I stood behind the door. I could hear the beat of my heart as Toby checked the other office first. He didn't look for long, or wait to see if anyone was in there. My best guess is he must have thought I left. I wasn't stupid enough to leave without a weapon or clothes. I watched his shadow go under the door before he pushed it open more. I flattened myself against the wall, still hidden behind the door, as he came into the room. He was in front of me with his back turned. I had the very thought to hit him there and then as he checked behind the desk. 

I had the gun pointed at him the moment our eyes made contact. His eyes widened slightly, his eyebrows raised with them, as I stared with a glare. Did I want to shoot him? No. Would I have to? Most likely not. But will I? Yes, absolutely. I’m positive he knew that, the way his arms waved, showing his hands, and the sweat that formed from his hairline. He’s seen what I could do and tried to form himself to not be a threat. 

“Hey, kid.” He said, letting out a breath he must have been holding in. I hadn’t dared to speak back to the other man. I already know my voice was torn out of me, and I would sound like shit if I did. Or maybe the water helped. Still, I wouldn’t look weak in front of someone I didn’t trust, and neither would I let my guard down. 

I had a great grip on the handle of my gun, staring at the man. “We're not gonna hurt you. I don’t think we would after saving you, now would we?” I continued to stare as He moved slowly to the door and near to me. He tried to grab the gun, but I moved it and shot at the wall. His eyes widened as he moved quickly out of my perspective and out of the room. His foot slipped over the gown I left on the floor, and he fell on his ass, staring at me with his hand out.

The door opened, and people came in with concerned and spiritful looks. I stood, across from them, with a gun pointed straight at Toby. My heart raced. Was I supposed to be in chains after waking? I should be after this. Negan's son. Their monster, their destroyer, and the one they ought to have killed. I was the son of that. My dad. 

My jaw clenched. 

“Boy.” Rick the prick. As my dad loved to call him. Rhymes, and makes sense. I didn’t dare look at the man, for now, he had the power I lost. I was nothing here, and my dad would soon be nothing. Would I now make myself like their Monster? Would I fight against them, or with them? Either way, I betray someone I’m close to from either side. My eyes burn into Toby’s forehead. The spot I could shoot at the point. “Put it down, “ He said, rather calmly. I could hear whispers among the group, two of them leaving the room, Aaron and Tara. There leaves Rick, Daryl… and Maggie? Yes, that’s her name. The dead widow who’s not actually dead. Another reminder of my failure.

Rick tried to step closer but I gripped the gun handle and he stopped. Footsteps shifted, eyes burned into my head. “He ain’t gonna put it down.” Says Maggie, who looked at me with a burning look. If looks could kill, I’d be dead in a matter of seconds. She pointed to me. “Why don’t we… why hadn’t we just let him die on the pavement… things I’ve heard, what that kid has done, he’s just like his father.” She whispered as if the dead room would cover her words. 

Exactly. The things I’ve done, killed in cold blood. It wasn’t something I could just walk away from. What could I do in the mad situation? Die by Rick Grimes, by them, or myself? Or what, run back to Daddy? Like I hadn’t killed my own men? Or cursed him and his dumbass bat that he named after my mother. We both were broken men. Or is he dead, like I should be? How many days has it been since the fight? How many days has it been since I killed my own men, or lost the power I was afraid to lose, or when shall I die by these people? How many days has it been since she died and he became a shadow of a man? A cone in a deep world. 

I wasn’t sure how long I stood with the gun pointed, or how long they whispered and spoke to me, trying to get the gun away from the man on the ground. But it must have been a small while.

Aaron and Tara came in, both looked out of breath. I continued to point and wait for another to shoot at me. It never came.

“What going… oh..” The familiar voice had me shifting my eyes for the first time. I gave a harsh glare to the group. 

Speaking was now, or never. “You…” I pause and cough, letting my voice loosen slightly. “Think I would put this damn gun down because he’s in here?” I question, tilting my head slightly. Carl looked confused slightly, he was analyzing his surroundings, letting himself play out the situation. I grip the gun harder. 

Rick looked at Carl, obviously not knowing what exactly to do in this situation.  Maggie started to whisper this time, I couldn’t make out any words, but the expression on Carl's face told me everything.

“No,” Carl said blatantly. “I… only if he shoots. He won’t.” He sounded sure of himself as he stared at the two. Our eyes connected, his look, pissed and confused with his furrowed eyebrows.  I watched his foot move slowly, Rick moved out his hand and shook his head, but Carl only pushed his arm away, staring straight my way. I felt a hand rest on my wrist and I flinched, moving it slightly away but keeping it trained on Toby as he started to stand, slowly. 

Carl grabbed the top of the gun and slowly slid it out of my hands, before emptying the gun. He looks confused. “There were no bullets?” He asked, looking at his dad and back to me.  I huffed and reached into my pocket, pulling out the shells and letting them drop to the ground. 

“So?” Daryl said, squinting at me. “Kids dangerous. We all can agree on that-” Rick interrupts him. “We’ll discuss this somewhere else… but he’s right. You can’t be allowed by yourself.” He states, looking at me with hands on his hips. “Looks like you rested up, and you can walk… I’ll have you back in my house, under my supervision.” He points at the two of us. “That means you stay inside at all times, I’ll have another bed to move in Carl's room. We’ll talk later tonight.” His last sentence was pointed at Carl as he waved his people out of the room.

---- Chapter 8 ----

A lot happens in this chapter. I haven't read over it, but I will soon, so excuse the mistakes, they will be fixed later on. Any questions, please ask.

[rickgrimesdoingrickthings]

Continued from this

Rick could see Lori wanted to say things- her lips were tense, she was putting a lot of effort to keep them shut.“I never told you to shut up, Lori. You can speak your mind no problem.”He was staring her in the eyes nodding, his voice so angry but contained, low, gruff.Then Shane.Rick absolutely wanted that conversation to end now.A soft metallic bell noise rang.He didn’t want to lose it MORE than he already had.He just stopped pacing, rested his hands on his hips and listened, listened to Shane.Shane was trying to end the conflict- and indeed, it would be for the best. It was useless to discuss a marriage that didn’t exist anymore. A marriage Shane himself had helped to fuck.Rick sighed.“Alright. I’ll get some rest. You keep watch, then we’ll swap places.

 Fair enough.”Fair. A soft metallic bell noise rang.Rick intended to keep an eye on Fox- for the first days at least. He didn’t trust her. Not fully, not yet. Indeed, she was a stranger. He didn’t know what she could try. He was optimistic though, he truly didn’t believe she would let him down after all that had happened. The first thing that came to his mind every time he remembered the image- that thin woman behind those bars- it was injustice. A soft metallic bell noise rang.The deputy’s eyes just got so sad, looking down, once the conflict was over.Lori and her unsaid words.Well, why couldn’t she just tell them so they could try to sort it out? Was he so unreasonable that she couldn’t open up? He thought he had always showed Lori she could rely on him. It…didn’t matter anymore…- even so…oh he kept thinking about it- he kept thinking about them and he hated himself for that. A soft metallic bell noise rang.Rick walked away, with less than half the energy he had than when he got back from the lake. He wanted to cry. He wanted to die- to stop existing for a few hours- to stop feeling all that turmoil inside his chest. He felt nauseated- he felt his eyes getting warmer, wanting to flood- but he swallowed. A soft metallic bell noise rang.He had been too sentimental already. He should be cold. Strong. 

Wasn’t that what Lori wanted? He had to be like Shane.The man kept thinking what did he do wrong though- for his marriage to end like that- he kept thinking if he could have fixed it if he knew- he would gladly have changed for Lori- if that meant she would still love him.Damn…it hurt…it hurt so much…if she told she would love him again…if things would be like before…damn…he would be so tempted to get on his knees- despite knowing she was the one who had left him…it still…Uh?Rick stepped on a wire.One of the wires Shane and himself had set around their camp-He followed it, the wire was loose, and right ahead, the soda cans they had attached to the wire- on the floor-Something had entered the camp- and they had been too distracted to hear it- they must have heard the metallic sounds but…everyone was distracted- no one…The man tensed up and started to look around- trying to remember all the perimeter that part of the wire covered-“Andrea! Shaaane!!”Rick shouted- his voice was firm, acid, sharp and worried- reaching a tone no one had heard before.

He needed to put everyone under alert- now!His eyes caught the other pieces of the wire-Behind the RV…it was in place, it was okay.Behind the tables, where Andrea and Fox were, that part of the wires was still standing too- the area where the barracks were- the wires were still firm in place-This time it wasn’t the eyes of a man that were scared- it was the eyes of a father.The place where Carl and Sophia were playing- the loose wire on his hand trailed behind a tree and then right there.“CARL, SOPHIA!! COME HERE!! GET OUT OF THERE, COME HERE!!”Carl frowned, not understanding, but stood and started coming- Sophia though, took a few seconds to raise her eyes from the game, distracted, confused.She wasn’t coming yet- she was watching Carl run- the boy stopped along the way to look back-Something in the shadows behind where they were playing, struggling, wrapped in wires- a walker, stumbling closer, slowly, gaining speed, charging, hungry-Rick started to run the fastest he could- such intensity- thin muscles seemed to have so much power- Rick was fast, so fast- his movements solid and determined- his posture making his speed increase fast- he passed by Carl who was already in a safe area like an eagle, running to Sophia-The girl stood and gave a few steps forward, confused, lost, what was going on???

Rick gestured twice and he ran- “OUT OF THERE!!! WALKER!!”The creature was already coming- it advanced against the little girl like a beast- her acute shouts were pure agony, feeling the dry solid strong hands of he creature grab her small body, a rotten breath, still dense teeth ready to sink in on her face- she closed her eyes- but she still could feel the weight of the dead man attacking her-The jaw of the dead was ready to close and rip skin from the child’s face, when Rick shoved his hand into the walker’s face to push it away, his hands between the monster’s fangs and Sophia’s skin- it was so close, using his weight to try and make the creature lose balance- it was strong- the walker was surprisingly strong- strength of the rigid muscles of a man- no limits in how much effort it would put in order to eat- “RUN!!! GO TO YOUR MOM!! SHANE!!!”Rick shouted- Daryl and Merle had already dropped the meat, taking their weapons, running to the scene.The struggle was real- the walker was too agitated, it was moving too much- it would be hard to shoot the walker without hitting Rick-Ricks hand was already pressing against the face of the walker- but it was so hard to push- the creature kept advancing against Rick, so heavy- Rick didn’t have much strength to keep his balance, if that thing fell over him- it would mean the end-The walker was determined to bite faces it seemed- all its body forcing against Rick, who almost lost his balance when he tried to hit the walker with his knee- the creature didn’t seem to feel any pain- then he hit the monster with his elbow a couple of times- nothing-It was then that the walker nails grabbed Rick’s arm and started to rip it open- the jacket he ripped- the skin, some of the muscles- he ripped like cheap plastic- Rick shouted in pain-Then, the walker was quick to move its sharp fingers to Rick’s stomach- 

Rick’s eyes widened- NO. What the walker had done to his arm- he was going to do to his abdomen- he would rip it open- his guts would fall off- he would be dead- no…no…not that…not like that…Legit fear filled Rick’s eyes with tears of pain and horror-He shouted, pressed his bleeding arm into the walker’s mouth, deep- where his hand had already pressed in order to prevent the thing from biting Sophia- he sank his arm deep- pressing, again and again with violent pushes, his hand finding and smashing the brain of the creature- it stopped moving-Both the walker and Rick fell to the group- the teeth of the beast sank in Rick’s arm, by just where his forearm started.Rick was panting, shaking. It was his right arm- of course- he needed to use all his strength to save Sophia- he hadn’t thought twice.The girl was hugging Carol, so tight, and Carol was standing in shock-Rick was bleeding a lot, on the floor, frozen in shock and fear, two pools of static tears in his eyes, staring the dead thing in front of him. His shirt had been ripped, but he had no wounds on his stomach.

@vuulpecula​

[fawnhoards]

A collection of dialogue from Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer. To be used as sentence starters. As per usual, feel free to change pronouns or whatever you see fit. Mentions / implications of death, murder, violence.

“ Who’s after me? ”

“ They’re handing out flyers with your name and picture. ”

“ You gotta be extra careful. ”

“ I want to strangle him. ”

“ I can’t explain his actions. I never could. ”

“ How do we even know he’s alive? ”

“ What a pleasant surprise. I’m glad you’re here. ”

“ We don’t have much time. ”

“ They’ll be coming to kill you. ”

“ You know what? Never mind. ”

“ Let me help you, or you won’t live through the day. ”

“ Look, I don’t understand ninety percent of what you’re saying. ”

“ You have no reason to trust me. But you need to come with me right now. ”

“ Wow, thanks. That really answered my question. ”

“ Not all Norse people were Vikings. ”

“ I could give you a three-hour lecture on that topic alone. ”

“ Myths are simply stories about truths we’ve forgotten. ”

“ I’m definitely feeling the love. ”

“ You can’t drop a bombshell like that and walk away! ”

“ You want this? Come and get it. ”

“ Come on, I’ll race you to the beach. ”

“ Oh, I like you! We’ll have fun. ”

“ Don’t make me regret this. ”

“ Keep your mouth shut, nod your head, and try to look brave. ”

“ Don’t make me regret bringing you here. ”

“ If you embarrass me, I’ll be the first to kill you. ”

“ You’re not joking, are you? ”

“ I never joke about calculus homework. ”

“ Most important things have names. ”

“ What greater enemy is there than the sea? ”

“ Sleep well, and dream of glorious death! ”

“ You, sir, look like a huge dork. ”

“ You made quite a first impression last night! ”

“ Thanks. That’s much more confusing. ”

“ She’s a sweetheart, once you get past the fact that she’s a horrible person. ”

“ You can’t rush off and do something stupid. ”

“ Hard to know. It’s not worth the risk. ”

“ Nothing escapes your keen intellect. ”

“ On further reflection, I don’t care. ”

“ My skin will heal. My pride may not. ”

“ Let’s keep walking. Clear your head. ”

“ Folkvanger. It’s the name of Freya’s hall for the slain. ”

“ I don’t show this to many people. It’s too disturbing. ”

“ You mean the gods are gone? ”

“ Do I detect an or else? ”

“ I like you better already. ”

“ I might be able to heal this. ”

“ But I had this whole speech prepared. ”

“ I’ll admit I’m a bit of a clotheshorse. ”

“ We had one job. We failed. ”

“ Kid, you saved lives. ”

“ What’s it like…where you’re from? ”

“ I’m so sorry I didn’t know sooner. I could’ve helped you. ”

“ I’m not mad. You’ll know when I’m mad. ”

“ There’s a name I was hoping never to hear again. ”

“ Correct me if I’m wrong. I’d love to be wrong. ”

“ He may be charismatic, but he’s also a liar, a thief, a murderer. ”

“ And you promise to negotiate in good faith? ”

“ Cross my waters again and I will personally drag your soul to the bottom. ”

“ So will you tell me who you are, now? ”

“ I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you. ”

“ Oh, there’s no need to draw your sword just yet. ”

“ I hate minions. ”

“ Well, that’s just perfect. ”

“ Can I see it? The sword? ”

“ I can’t fight them all. It’s leave now or be captured. ”

“ Come on. Let’s get this over with. ”

“ Once you discover its full abilities, you will be formidable indeed. ”

“ We’re not having this discussion again. ”

“ For one thing, we’re cousins. ”

“ Godly family lines are so tangled—thinking about it will drive you crazy. ”

“ I hate the word demigod. I prefer born with a target on my back. ”

“ You say I’m a demigod. I say I’m a receipt. ”

“ Glad you haven’t died yet. I want to be there for that. ”

“ Do you have any magic that will help? ”

“ I’ll be over here, weeping or whatever. Just ignore me. ”

“ If you could just make a clean cut right across the throat— ”

“ Go on. I love depressing stories. ”

“ Only people who have known great pain have the capacity to learn magic. ”

“ You were born with your magic—an inheritance from your father. ”

“ The only limits on your magic are your strength and your imagination. ”

“ Just theoretically, what would happen if we did? ”

“ How did you come to be with these strange folk? ”

“ Without you, we never would’ve gotten this far. ”

“ Sounds like powerful magic. Have you tried it before? ”

“ That was horrifying. I mean, great. ”

“ Just follow my lead. It’ll be fun. ”

“ However much magic you need to use, it’s okay. We’ve got you. ”

“ You could be powerful. You could make our father proud. Why do you fight it? ”

“ How long have you been waiting to use that line? ”

“ How dare you get yourself hurt like this? ”

“ Do not dishonor them by feeling guilt. ”

“ Knowing your fate is one thing. Accepting it is another. ”

“ I owe you my life. How about I buy you dinner? ”

“ Command me, and I will not fail. ”

“ Just remember: you’re not in this alone. ”

“ I thought it was better if I didn’t drag you into my problems. ”

“ Tell me what’s been going on. I promise I won’t tell. I might even be able to help. ”

“ You’ve come to kill me, I expect. ”

“ I hope you’re not making excuses? ”

“ Which of the gods besides me has bothered to speak to you as a friend and an equal? ”

“ Such is human memory…you forget the truth and believe what makes you feel better. ”

“ Stick with us and…well, you won’t do fine. You’ll get killed quickly. But stick with us anyway. ”

“ You are of interest to many different parties. Some of them are not as charming or helpful as I. ”

“ Some of us want to see the world in ruins just for the fun of it…even if we’re ruined along with it. ”

“ All I ever wanted was to design quality clothing and sell it at reasonable prices in my own store. ”

“ For every hero, a thousand cowards. For every brave death, a thousand senseless ones. ”

“ You ever do the right thing, and you know it’s the right thing, but it leaves you feeling horrible? ”

“ Somebody once told me that a hero’s bravery has to be unplanned—a genuine response to a crisis. It has to come from the heart, without any thought of reward. ”

[lua-bunny]

I like girls - Lydia Twd

Hey! Making a one shot of my girl who is always forgotten in the Twd fandom (unfortunately, because she is fucking cute)

In this one shot, the reader is necessarily a woman/someone who uses she/her!

Enjoy!

Since you joined Rick's group, before Alexandria, you've really grown attached to the teenagers in the group. At first it was just Beth and Carl, which later became Noah, Enid and later Henry. Of course, you were their age, no family, like most, and a lot of emotional need. Over time, after the deaths of Beth, Carl and Noah, you no longer cared about the lack you felt, but what others might have.

You were almost maternal, even a few years above most young people, because your heart wanted to make those young people feel that they had something worthwhile. Maybe that's why Lydia liked you so much. You couldn't tell. Maybe it was because you defended her from Henry's stupid friends, or because you let her cry in your arms in the cell where Daryl locked her, or because you took the slap in the face from Alpha. She followed you like a master, as if she were your puppy. She would do anything to stay close, pushing away everyone who wanted to talk to her. One day you guided her on how she should be social. She simply replied: "I don't like them, they don't understand me like you do". You left this pass, after all, she were just a girl with no social skills.

Lydia started living with you in Alexandria since the houses in Hiltop weren't safe, you let her wear your clothes and you served as a shoulder for the girl to cry about her mother almost every night. It was always late, she would crawl into your bed, waking you up with a soft, tearful voice asking if she could sleep in your room. You would accept, making her lay on your lap and cry as if tomorrow didn't exist.

She clung to you, as if that meant she was saved from all her sins.

However, that changed one day. Instead of the girl crying for her mother, she cried for something she didn't even understand.

“Ly” you called her by her affectionate nickname, as she climbed into your lap.

"What happend?"

"I don't know if I can talk" she said in the most guilty and tearful voice in the world.

"Of course you can. I will understand you"

"Do you think it's normal to not like boys?" The question scared you a little. You thought she liked Henry, but apparently she doesn't even like boys?!

“Of course it is” you reply simplisticly.

"I say to a girl"

"Ly, people like who they like. It's born with them. Not everyone likes men, or women, you can like one, or both, or neither, or another gender. It's okay with that" Lydia doesn't respond at first, she just clings tighter to his embrace like a child. Deep down, she was like a child, inexperienced, experiencing all her feelings and desires at the same time.

"But they told me it was wrong" she almost whispers, while her head is buried in your neck.

"Who?"

"Mr. Larry" the famous teacher from Alexandria.

"What did he say to you?"

"I can not say"

"Of course you can. Why couldn't you? Did he tell you not to tell me?" If that were the case, you would smash his face in.

"No. You'll find out"

"Find out? Find out what?" She lifts her face from your neck, tears coming from her eyes. She's almost breaking down from having to tell you this. She doesn't want you to say the same thing as Mr.Larry.

"Mr. Larry said we were supposed to read a book about something but I didn't like either of them. So I found a romance book between...between...two girls and when I went to tell him, he told me I couldn't read this and that it would make me...a lesbian" You didn’t know what to feel. Anger? Sadness? Discomfort? After all, Mr. Larry had known you since you were a child and he knew you were sapphic. Did people really still think that way?

"Oh Ly, don't mind him. He's an old, frustrated man who has irrational prejudices."

"That's not the problem. It's just....I think he's right" she says, this time actually crying in his arms.

"He's not"

"But I became a lesbian" she says almost exasperated, hiding her face in her hands.

"Angel, you haven't become anything. If you like girls, that's who you are. You just discovered yourself. No matter how many straight or lesbian books you read, it doesn't change your sexuality. You just...discovered" you he says, caressing his tear-stained face.

“I like girls,” she says in a barely audible whisper, more to herself than to you.

"If it makes you feel better, I like them too" Lydia's face lit up, as if she had just received the best Christmas present of her life.

"Serious?"

"Yes, really"

"It means you can date a woman"

"Yes, angel, that means that" She stops crying for a few seconds, looking deep into your eyes as if she wants to say something.

"I think I can date a woman too"

"Yes you can"

"That means I can date you, doesn't it?" She asks a little anxiously. You freeze slightly wondering if that was really what was going to happen. You loved that girl, it wasn't a secret to anyone, you just didn't imagine that she could love you too.

"Yes, if you liked me"

"I like you" That's enough to shut you up. You take a moment to think: "Am I going too far?", "Am I taking advantage of her?", "Did she say that with that intention?" This made you silent, just looking at Lydia. Lydia starts to panic, thinking she messed up, she alludes to get off your lap as she apologizes several times, however, you pull her waist against you and hold her face with both hands.

"I like you too Lydia"

With that, you wipe the few tears on the girl's face, while holding her waist and face as if her kiss was the only thing that mattered.

And it really was.

[wrathfulmercy]

Eris had left a stain on his heart. A pitch black stain that ached every damn day made of loss, anger and simple heartbreak. People told Rick so many times how strong he was and how admiring it is what he survived, but they never really acknowledged the true pain that laid beneath his chest right there where his heart was constantly bleeding. He was proud of her, no question but the more time passed, the angrier he got. How could she do that? How could she leave him? And when he stopped blaming her, it was himself who got it all. How could he let her go? How could he be so stupid and develop feelings for this woman who was never supposed to be his? How could he even dare to get involved with her when he had a family at home?

A rush of emotions. Every day changing and every hour more painful. And then he heard it. The whispering on the hallways. The informations in the meeting room that stuck his heart in his throat. Would she survive this? Would she come back from there alive? But even if, how would the failure taunt her? Would she be able to look at him again? Rick knew how alike they were. How he would hate himself if he didn’t make it and he could only imagine how she must have felt to accept that this wasn’t the time it would work out and that she had to return. To him. Would she even want that?

He tried to track her location. Tried to catch every last snippet of information about their mission he could get to know if she was still out there and if he needed to get there. But Eris never needed a savior. Not until now, but he would learn that soon enough.

Her group came back, or what was left of it and Rick tried during the whole day to keep his cool and not freak about this, but the only question he really asked himself was where she was. There was only one thought in his mind: to hold and comfort her. To tell her that she didn’t fail and this wasn’t her fault. That there would come another time where she would try again. And that one day she would get out of here just like he would. Without her.

“Eris?” His voice was low and careful as he opened the door to her room that was still pitch black. She couldn’t be here, could she? But then he heard it, the plump sound of someone’s hand punching against the wall and he couldn’t even tell what he felt first: sadness or relief. “Stop it.” he nearly cooed and walked up to her to close his hand around her fist and lead it away from the wall. Instead he let them hit his chest and brought his other palm to her face to make her look at him in the dark room where only the moon glowed lightly. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here now. Look at me.” A firmer grip of her cheek to send her one of his gentle smiles. “I got you. It’s gonna be okay.” He was well aware that right in this moment nothing would ever feel okay for her again, but when he learnt something then it was that these feelings would pass until they would get up again and fight another time. “You’ll gonna make it next time. There will always be another chance. Come here.”

His arms wrapped around her in a protective matter just to press her tightly against his chest while he rested his chin on top of her head and caressed her hair until his eyes were closing to fight the tears away. He got her. She was really here. And he could finally stop missing her. For a while. “God I’m so glad you’re alright.”

After all: what did he expect? They both were horrible in goodbyes and would probably always prefer to avoid it to just have a last good memory instead of a sad one. Rick didn’t blame her for it. In fact he didn’t blame her for anything and knew he would have probably done the same. If looking at her now, hearing those words now already hurt like motherfucking shit, how much would a true goodbye hurt? And how should any of them then be able to focus on what really counted? What should count instead of this?

“Oh, I know.” he replied under distress and with sharp air escaping through his teeth while he twisted his head as if he was in real physical pain and maybe he was. Maybe this was much worse than the usual wounds they had to endure. “No. No I’m not mad Eris.” He hated goodbyes. And god knew he wouldn’t be able to let her go if they would decide to say goodbye to each other. They even promised that they would never take this route. That they would never let it come to this. That every day together should be a good one with good feelings only and if it ended, it would end on a good note. Wasn’t that romantic after all? A light glimpse of brighter days ahead when they kept what they had as precious as it was without tainting it?

Rick just nodded without a word to let her know he heard every word. That he listened without mentioning that his heart still couldn’t accept it. But when she mentioned she’d come back for him, he couldn’t help but shake his head. “No, listen Eris.” They were cowards, both of them, for not being able to say goodbye before, weren’t they? Rick didn’t want to be that coward for her now. Right now she just needed someone to give her strength and hope and he always wanted to be that for her. So he did the brave thing, the thing a coward wouldn’t and reached for her hand with a smile that hurt him nearly more than letting go.

His thumb stroked over the back of her hand while he spoke, eyes focused on her even if he wasn’t able to hold her face like he wished to. “You go. And you’ll try and you’ll succeed, like you always do. And I…” Why did talking suddenly feel like swallowing razorblades? “I will stay here and root for you. Root for you to make it. But Eris…listen to me.”

Rick took a step forward just to lower his voice and whisper for only her to hear but holding onto her hand like it was the last straw. “You’ll not come back to me. You will not look back, you hear me? If there is a chance, you’ll take it. You’ll do anything that needs to be done. Live. Smile. But don’t come back for me. Don’t come back to this godforsaken hell.” It didn’t matter who would see, didn’t matter what others thought but Rick led her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it before stepping back and letting go. “No regrets, Eris.” He needed her to know at least that: There were none for him and she shouldn’t have them either. Or at least he hoped. “Now go. I don’t wanna see you at this place anymore, Amorello.”

[bloodycherry22]

Brat. | Rick grimes

Genre: smut. spoilers

Summary: Rick gives you strict orders, in pure spite and annoyance you disobey him, sneaking out of Alexandria. You get caught and Rick makes sure you know to never do that, ever again.

Warnings: Anger, harsh language directed to reader, smut, degrading, praise, cussing, blowjob, oral, male receiving, hard fucking on a table? choking? I dunno, straight up raunchy, pure filth. RICK BEING MEAN TO READER. Like he literally bites and slaps her.

Not proofread

Rick scoffed, his arms crossed over his chest as he shook his head, eyes skimming over your figure “y/n, I told you, you can’t be going on runs in such a small group, especially after last time.” He confidently stated, a hint of proudness to his tone. A week or so back, while on a short run, you may have broke something and almost gotten killed by a small scale herd, leaving Rick the most worried man on the planet when he found out.

In annoyance you groaned, beginning to walk away from him, simply feeling like you had no more to say to that man. “Y/n..” A deep voice warned, stopping you in your tracks. “You can be mad at me but it doesn’t change my answer, you aren’t going out there without me or Daryl present” he shrugged, watching you calmly.

With a huff, you kept walking, making sure to add some pressure to your steps as you headed for your house. It was unbelievable the way he acted towards you, as if he owned you. As if he had every right to tell you what to do. Truthfully, he has no authority over you, meaning you didn’t actually have to abide by his rules.

With this idea in mind, grabbing your gear was a necessity, and once you had it, you were on your merry way out of Alexandria, sneaking over the wall the second you got the chance. The day growing short as the sun slowly set, leaving just the dim lighting that shone through the lower parts of the forest around you. Feeling quite content with yourself, you took a few long strides, inhaling the fresh air, sure it was no different to the air in Alexandria but it felt free. Like you weren’t being bossed around by a man or trapped inside by Deanna.

With almost no meaning to be out, you found yourself growing bored swiftly, deciding it really may have been a silly idea to come out here, meaninglessly killing walkers, sure it was good practice, but pointless as of right now. Just as you sighed to yourself, turning around you bumped into a hard chest, smelling an earthy, musk like scent. Mumbling a light curse you looked up, meeting the dark eyes of Daryl Dixon.

“The fuck you doing out here kid? Getting yourself killed” He scoffed, letting his crossbow down and raising his brow at you. You just pursed your lips and slid your knife back into its casing. He laughed under his breath and shook his head “you sneak out?…badass, you know Rick will be pissed right?” He asked sternly, his tone laced with sarcasm. You nodded and pinched the bridge of your nose, realisation setting in, no way in hell would Rick have magically not noticed that you left, let alone this late.

“Yup, your dead meat, come on, we’ll get ya in without the bosses seein’, just can’t promise Rick won’t know” he snickered, shaking his head, mumbling something about you being fucked as he grabbed your arm. With a whine you followed him “now, I sneak out sometimes, when you just want that fuckin’ moment of freedom…there’s a hole in the wall down in a more..overgrown area, hard to see so they don’t have many people there..it should work” he explained, his accent thick. You nodded, feeling a little more secure.

The walk felt short, almost wanting it to last longer so you could avoid the lecture you would get off Rick. Regretting ever coming out in the first place. Once you had reached the area Daryl had told you about, he helped you in before stepping in himself and you smiled, successfully entering Alexandria without being caught, it was a relief and Daryl seemed pretty proud too. Or so you thought. A deep, cough could be heard, on turning to see where it had emerged from, you met ricks eyes. He stood with his arms crossed and his brow quirked, glancing between both you and daryl, as he cleared his throat.

“You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me” daryl mumbled and you suddenly felt ashamed, seeing ricks face, his deep eyes staring daggers into your soul, his jaw clenched in what seemed to be anger yet somehow his face was almost unreadable, his knuckles white at how hard he was holding onto the fabric of his shirt. He uncrossed his arms and stepped towards the both of you. Even daryl seemed a bit intimidated by the silence.

“Rick-“ you started but he shook his head.

“No, you don’t get to explain” he began, turning to face Daryl “You don’t think I know about your little time outs? I see you…fuckin’ escaping every couple of days, I kept quiet, but really, you decided to show y/n?”

“Rick, he didn’t show me, I snuck out myself, he just…caught me while I was heading back” you mumbled, looking down to fiddle with your fingers and Daryl chuckled. “Don’t blame me, I was just hoping to get her in without Deanna spotting her, she’s already suspicious” Daryl explained and Rick shook his head in shame. He took Daryl to the side, pointing at you and telling you sternly, to stay put, and so you did, he was intimidating in a state like this, never once did you think you would be on the receiving end of angry Rick.

After giving Daryl a short lecture, he turned back to you, walking over and grabbing your forearm, nudging you forward with a sense of aggression. You could tell he was leading you to his place, and you allowed him, staying completely silent as you both walked at a fast pace. One inside his house, he slammed the door and looked at you, placing his hands on his belt, he took a short breath before looking at you. Staying silent for a moment.

“The fuck are you playing at y/n? Going out..what? Minutes, after I told you not too! And at fuckin’ night! You asking for a deathwish?” He shook his head and raised his hand, almost speaking with it, exaggerating his point.

“No I-“

“Then why the hell did you go out? On your own! What if a group of walkers came? Or a group of men? Huh?” The question was rhetorical but his voice was loud, sending shivers down your spine. He stopped speaking for a minute to let out a breathy laugh, taking a few steps around the room to gather and calm his thoughts. You took the chance to walk towards him, placing the palm of your hand on his bicep, earning a flinch from him, but he didn’t stop you. Just sighing in return.

“Your trouble, you know that? You don’t listen, you put yourself in danger, you put the group in danger, what if someone other than Daryl found you?!” He exclaimed, not daring to look at you.

“Rick i kno-“ He cut you off, your shame building into anger in reaction, he wouldn’t let you get a word in.

“You could’ve gotten godamn killed y/n! God knows what could’ve happened, you think it’s funny? To go against my will like that? What if you got hurt?” He yelled and it was like a breaking point for you.

“I know! Rick, I know! But I didn’t! You happy? I didn’t get hurt, I didn’t get caught, and nothing happened, yes I went against your will but your not the fucking boss of me!” You stepped back, removing your hand. He finally looked into your eyes, scanning your face, the air grew hot and thick, suddenly your breathing displaced, feeling shock as you collected the events.

His eyes narrowed, tilting his head, contemplating your words “you done? that little outburst make you feel good? Huh?” He asked, his voice so demeaning and degrading, almost like he knew he was the one in control, even if you acted like he wasn’t. He lifted his hand, running it through his hair and you noticed the veins, his hands always being attractive to you. You shook your head, deciding you were better than listening to a man. “I’m done Rick.” You stated, pushing all your thoughts away, no matter how filthy as you took a step forward, attempting to push past him.

He lifted his other arm, blocking the door “don’t fucking be like this y/n, you know damn well it was stupid of you to go out like that and you know damn well, if you leave, you’ll be back by tomorrow begging for it” he spoke, his voice annoyingly calm, anger burning inside you at his words. Something took over and you simply reached your hand into the air and slapped him, hard. Across the cheek.

He stood for a second, his face to the side as he collected what had just happened. He lifted his arm to touch his cheek, redness taking over the skin already. “You really know how to piss me off? Don’t you? Fucking bitch-“ he had slipped, never would he ever be so rude to you, but in the heat of the moment, with his temper through the roof, it was expected. You wouldn’t take it, raising your had again, going in for a second hit, pure rage filling your body but he caught your wrist. Eyes instantly looking into yours, snickering, his grip tight as he shook his head. He would never hurt you, but he sure would mentally humiliate you.

“Oh no..sweetheart, you can get the first hit but there’s no way in hell your getting a second” his voice was deep and gravelly, the pet name standing out drastically compared to the rough things he was saying. “Rick..I’m so sorry, I don’t know wha-“

“No, your just a fucking brat, you know that?” He asked, pushing you against the door surprisingly gently, your arm still in his grip as he looked down at you, a smirk plastered across his face. He held your arm above your head and out of habit you found yourself lifting the other for him, how pathetic.

“I..Rick I’m sorry-“ you almost found yourself begging, in return he just laughed, his large figure hung over yours. He leaned his head down to the crook your neck, his breath hot against your skin and hummed.

“Your not sorry, I bet tomorrow you’ll be doing it again, fucking disobeying me, like the brat you are” he insulted, his beard tickling your collarbone as his other hand dragged along your waist, his fingertips barely even touching your skin, but enough to make you shiver. Your knees grew weak at his tone, finding yourself becoming a mess for him, ashamed at how quick he was able to control you. You were speechless, having no words that could explain the feelings in your chest, the pace of your heart faster than safe.

He hummed at your silence, lips brushing over your throat, pressing tender kisses to the hot skin, as if claiming it to be his. He peppered short kisses up to your jaw, and you could finally feel at ease in the situation, feeling like maybe he had calmed down, even if it was just a smidge. He ghosted a few short kisses to your jaw, whispering in a low tone.

“How can a brat like you be so pretty yet so pathetic for me?” He asked, a sadistic, short laugh erupting from him before a shooting pain was felt through your neck. His teeth sinking into the skin, as sharp as your blade which was currently discarded somewhere on the floor, ripping into your skin hard enough to leave puncture marks. You yelped at the sudden burst of pain, shrinking away the best you could but you were caged between his body and the door. Although, being slightly embarrassed, the pain his action brought a new feeling you had never felt, burning building up in your stomach and rushing all over your body before settling into the heat which had been growing between your legs.

Frantically, your hands moved in his grip, desperately wanting to latch around his neck and tug at the dark curls. He pulled back slightly to suck gently at the tenderness, leaving what you assume to be dark marks before fully pulling away, his eyes flickering between yours and your lips. You knew you looked a mess, eyes half lidded and watering, skin red and hot, lips parted, dry, desperate for his touch.

He shook his head and laughed at the sight of you “look at me” he ordered, his free hand lifting to gently tap at your chin, forcing you to hold eye contact with him. “You regretting going out there yet?” He mumbled, the tone of his voice enough to make you collapse, barely able to hold yourself up any more. His face grew closer, millimetres away, his lips dancing over yours sensually, as if he was purposely teasing you.

A small whine slipped past your lips and his grin spread, looking into your eyes for a moment before allowing his lips to press against yours, humming in content, his hand falling back to your side, feathering light touches over your curves and rib cage, as if your body was carved especially for him, his large hand, even though barely making any physical contact, made your knees buck, finding yourself so overwhelmed you couldn’t even hold yourself up.

He caught you, by the back of your thigh, magically without breaking the kiss, open mouths pressed together as you panted desperately into his. His fingertips drew small circles into your thigh, his touches felt like waves, crashing down all over your body, sending signals to your core, thighs squeezing together in return. A light chuckle pushed past his lips, against yours as he hummed “so fuckin desperate” he mumbled into the kiss, his words causing your breath to hitch, getting caught in your throat.

After a few moments, he pulled back from the kiss, looking at your bruised lips in awe as you caught your breath, eyes scanning over your face. “What should I do with you…hm?” He contemplated, his hand rubbing soft shapes into the plush of your thigh growing closer to the part of you that craved so badly to be touched, big doe eyes looked at him, whining desperately.

He just laughed, his other hand freeing your wrist’s to touch your face, dragging his thumb across your cheek. Shaking his head as he tutted “I could…teach you a lesson..fuck you till your begging me to stop” he hummed. “Or, I could leave you here, begging for me, let ya think about what you’ve done” he grinned, teasing you, his voice lower than usual.

“Rick..come on, please” you started, hand reaching for his bicep as the other started at his chest, pushing it up. “Please..” your voice was embarrassingly whiny, as if he had actually managed to take full control over you. He snickered in return to your touches “just cause your treating me all nice now darlin doesn’t change what you said before, what you did.” He shook his head. His voice bubbled inside your stomach, the low tones doing something awfully filthy to you.

With a groan you pushed back against his chest “Rick, fuck I’m sorry” the way he was treating you had made you almost, less sorry, maybe you wanted it to carry on. Maybe you wanted him to treat you like this more often. He raised his brow, looking at where you had pushed him, pathetically obviously, he had you trapped in an awkward position you could escape from if you tried. While watching his facial reactions, you decided to knock yourself further down, shoving his chest “stop fucking teasing ri-“

Slap. A harsh stinging spread throughout the skin of your cheek, the pain pleasuring in the most confusing way as you shakily gasped. Without giving you time to think his hand slipped under your chin, forcing you to look into his eyes, it shouldn’t feel this good, you should be embarrassed of scared, but you aren’t, the way his eyes stared deep into yours, breath heavy, made your stomach tighten, letting out shameful whines as he looked at you in the most demeaning way possible.

“Not nice is it? Being slapped?” He started, thumb brushing over the spot he had just abused “or maybe you did like it? Maybe your that dirty of a girl you want me to hurt you” he smirked, shaking his head as he spoke. Lowering his head, dragging his lips over the sensitive skin of your neck, lightly kissing every so often, leaving you shaking.

“Rick..I’m so sorry, please, please just touch me” Delicate hands fell into his hair, instead of tugging like usual, you gently wrapped it around your fingers, not wanting to anger him any more. He hummed into your neck, sure he loved teasing you, but it also meant teasing himself to do so. He kissed at the bruised skin from earlier for a longer moment before lifting his head. He removed his hands from your thighs, letting you drop to your knees as he began to unbuckle his belt. Excitement grew in your heart as you realised he was finally getting to the good bit.

“If you do a good enough job here sweetheart, I might just give ya what you want..” he pulled his belt off agonisingly slow. “Arms up” he mumbled and wrapped the belt around your wrists once you did “but..” he carried on “If you don’t..we’ll you sure as hell will know to listen to me from now on” he snickered and unbuttoned his jeans.

“You have an issue with that?” He asked, it sounded rhetorical but truthfully he was checking on you, wanting to make sure he wasn’t taking it to far. You shook your head, a sense of desperation in your action as he just smirked, his hand tucking a hair behind your ear “good..fuckin’ girl” he murmured, tugging his pants down, along with his boxers, just enough to free his cock. Swallowing thickly at the size of him, a few shaky breaths leaving your mouth. He wrapped a hand around the base of his length, swiping precursors over your lips as you parted them for him, looking up at him with doe eyes as he cursed under his breath.

Slowly, you took his tip into your mouth, swirling your tongue around him with a sense of certainty, focused on the task at hand, so badly wanting ti reach out, rest your hands on his thighs and dig you nails into the skin but being completely incapable, your wrists bound behind your back. With more confidence you took more of him into your mouth, humming at the taste of him on your tongue, sending vibrations through his body, his head tipping back in euphoria, letting out a low groan at the feeling.

You couldn’t fit his full length into your mouth but you did what you could, his tip hitting the back of your throat rhythmically as you held back the urge to gag, eyes brimming with tears as you watched him from below. His eyes fluttered shut as he reached one hand to the back of your head, fisting your hair into a makeshift ponytail. He let out a strain of curses, pushing your head further onto his cock, controlling your pace with his fist, tugging gently at your hair. “Fuck, that’s it..right there” he grumbled, hips sputtering as you began to feel choked up, he gave warning signs that he was close, his movements sporadic and curses growing faster.

Happily, you helped him, speeding up your actions to try and rude out his high as he came undone with a few lone thrusts, the taste of him strong on your tongue. He slowly pulled his length out of you mouth, watching as you swallowed, lips swollen and a few tears running down your cheeks. He just smiled, removing his hand from your hair to swipe his thumb over your lips, cleaning you up slightly. “Fuck…look so pretty like this” he chuckled lightly “stand up” he moved back, reaching his hand out to help you up before snickering, remembering you couldn’t move your hands. He walked around you, agonisingly slow, the senior thick as he slowly undid his belt from around your wrists, freeing them with afew soft kisses to the skin.

You were on your feet in seconds, looking at expectantly, silently pleading with just a pathetic facial expression. His eyes flickered over you, tilting his head “does the pretty little thing think she deserves to be touched?” He asked, hand stroking over your cheek, wiping one of the stray tears away, you nodded desperately, hand landing on his. He nodded “mkay, think you’ve learned your lesson huh?” His hands went to the back of your thighs, lifting you into the air and placing you on his dining table, swiftly making work of pulling your shirt over your head. You stayed silent, feeling like you had no more words, stuck in place, throat dry and eyes half lidded as his lips brushed over the skin of your chest.

“Hey, I asked you a question” his voice was clear and stern, lifting his head to look at you once again, his eyes intimidating you in ways you can’t describe, his fingertips dragging over your thigh, rubbing small circles into the plush. In return you nodded “I’ve learned my lesson” you mumbled, thighs squeezing at his words, earning a low chuckle from him.

“Good” he stated, tugging your pants down to your ankles, his other hand spreading over your thigh, gripping ever so slightly, digging into the skin as he leaned back down, giving you what you had wanted, more drastic touches, actual kisses down your collar bone, nipping at the skin gently with his teeth as small whimpers left your mouth.

His hot breath against your skin was like a relief, blood shooting around your body, heat rushing straight to your core as he muttered degrading things against your skin, your hands falling around his neck, playing with the collar of his shirt. “Rick..” you whined and he just grinned, feeling it against your chest. His finger trips dragged over your thigh and to the hem of your underwear, toying with the fabric, brushing over your clothed heat. You found yourself panting, even the lightest of touches caused your lips to part, quiet noises escaping from your throat.

He just ignored any kind of noise you made, enjoying how greedy he could make you feel, his calloused hands feeling amazing against the hotness of your skin, burning up in his hands. After what felt like a lifter one he finally tugged your panties down to your ankles, smirking at how quickly you lifted your hips for him. “So fuckin desperate..you gonna misbehave again?” He asked, letting his right hand slip between your thighs, thumb gently circling your clit, his hot breath fanning your chest as he spoke.

With a sharp gasp, you shook your head fast, overjoyed that he finally touched you, he applied a slight more pressure and asked you again “are you going to misbehave?” And with that you spoke up, voice shaky and dry “no, I promise Rick, I won’t” He nodded at your answer and stood up straight.

“You need any prep?” He asked sincerely, his left hand rubbing your thigh affectionately, still being the kind man he was. Quickly, you shook your head, don’t think he realises just how much you needed him. With that he nodded again, lining himself up with your cunt and looking into your half lidded eyes, already looking worn out from how he had treat you. He smirked and leaned forward, pressing his lips against yours, both of your eyes fluttering closed. You could feel him pushing into you, filling you up, his size still bringing slight pain and shock to your core no matter how many times he did this. He let you grow accustomed to him, deepening the kiss, your lips parted as you let out quiet whimpers into his mouth.

A few seconds passed before he began to move, the kiss becoming less stable and more sloppy as he even let out gruff moans, your noises becoming louder and less pathetic. His left hand flew to your lower back, holding you in place as he thrusted into you, the kiss broke when your head tipped back and he took his chance to drag his teeth over your throat, kissing at the skin like earlier, both of your bodies moving in sync as he roughly began to pound into you.

You swore the table was moving with you both, your hands fumbling with his hair, tugging at the dark locks. He sucked sharp, dark marks into the skin of your neck, your core tightening as your thighs trapped him in place.

“Rick- fuck..I’m close” you mumbled out in between moans, eyes screwed shut as his thumb began to circle your clit at a faster pace than earlier. “That’s it sweetheart, cum for me” he mumbled into the crook of your neck, his movements becoming less rhythmic as you assumed he grew close. A few harsh thrust brought you over the edge, pleasure coursing through you as your thighs found themselves shaking ever so slightly. He watched your orgasm intently, riding out your high as he came undone. “Fuck you look so good-“ he mumbled under his breath, moving a few more times inside of you before placing his hands either side of you, resting his head in your chest. “Holy shit”

You let out a breathy, worn out laugh and so did he, his hand stroking your back “you okay?” He asked, lifting his head to look into your eyes, his other hand reaching to cup your cheek, thumb brushing over the skin gently. “I hurt you to bad?”

“Definitely not.” You stated and smiled at him, he pulled out of you, helping both you and him get your clothes back on before heading to the sink. He poured a small glass of water and took a sip himself, walking over and handing it to you.

“Hey, if that’s how you act when I misbehave, might have to do it more often” you joked, taking a sip and he just shot you a disappointed look.

This took me SO LONG to write and I had to ask Kate for so many word ideas because I had used up all my usuals, fucking funny.

[cultofdixon]

It goes away temporarily

Daryl Dixon [PLATONIC] • She/Her Pronouns • Oh you knew about the Greene family, they were always so nice…then the outbreak happened, and everything changed. Even who cared for you • ANGST/SFW • TW: Abandonment / Separation Anxiety / Injuries / Anxiety Attack

Requested by: Anon

Find Sophia

Then it will all be fine

At least thats what Daryl thought as he continued to search the forest by the Greene farm. A new place the group is holding up while Carl recovers and Rick try to soften the farm owner to let them stay there. But to him, none of that mattered. All that did was finding Carol’s little girl and bringing her back to her.

But right as he was coming up empty with the distance he was going and the light was slowly fading, the second he decided to start heading back is when he heard a shuffling.

The archer held his crossbow ahead of him expecting something but nothing. Then he felt an acorn hit his head or at least what he thought was an acorn. It got the man to look up and yet again find nothing. Then the uncertainty got the best of him as he quickly swung back aiming his crossbow, startling the person that was behind him to fall on their butt.

Sophia? He thought given the hood blocked their face but without warning, he forcefully removed the hood watching the little girl cower immediately. Shit. “Where are your parents?”

The girl didn’t say anything and all she did was turn away from him heading in the opposite direction of the Greene Farm. Daryl had enough about losing people and decided to follow after this random child.

It’s a bit surprising to Daryl to find another farm in this neck of the woods but it’s also not uncommon for neighboring farms.

“Kid, again, where are your parents…” Daryl stops himself when he saw the farm she led them too.

The farm looked…like it hasn’t been habitable for a while. But it still had its farm animals and they were taken care of…by her.

“Can I get yea name if yer not gonna tell me where your parents are?”

“Y/N”

She looked to be around Carl’s age and know a bit more than the average kid. Maybe it’s because she grew up on a farm and understood a few things based on chores she may have been given. Honestly all Daryl saw was her go unnoticed, which is important, but he couldn’t help this anxious feeling he got.

“So now are yea—-“

“What’s your name?” Y/N stops abruptly almost making the archer trip over himself as he gripped onto the crossbow strap.

“Daryl”

“You look like a Norman”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just an observation” Y/N shrugs before walking into the farm house that Daryl instantly was taken back from.

This place looked raided. Or that a herd came through. As Daryl did his own sweep of the place while Y/N had something else in mind, he had the strange feeling that she’s been abandoned. Then he reaches the dining room seeing parts of it barricaded, a few packed boxes of supplies, a small pile of blankets and pillows…so even if the farm was somewhat away from it all, they were prepared in case of anything.

Daryl flinched to the sound of something falling as he quickly ran into the main room finding Y/N had tossed a bag down the stairs. “The fuck you think you’re doing?!”

“There was a gun shot about like a day or two ago? Y’all can have this”

“Why are you giving me this?”

“Mmm…I give you this, you help me?”

“Help you with what?” Daryl frowns checking what was in the bag to find a lot of hoarded medical supplies. “What is it?”

“I can’t find my parents”

Now Daryl promised Carol he’d find Sophia and promised Y/N that he’d find her parents.

Bringing this kid to the Greene farm brought mostly confused expressions. Especially from the Greenes. But none of them addressed her except Shane when he said loudly they couldn’t take care of another mouth to feed.

“She’s gonna lessen our sources”

“I can survive out there better than you can with fewer resources, asshat” Y/N snaps resulting in a snicker from Daryl and a shocked look from most of the women.

It didn’t take long for Daryl to give the supplies that Y/N gave him from her family’s farm. That sold Shane, not like she needed her approval to be accepted in that farm given after the small interaction…the Greenes took her aside to talk about how long she’s been out alone and everything.

Y/N found herself watching Rick and Lori interact with their unconscious son after Otis and Shane announced they were going to try and get the supplies they need. She flinched to a hand on her shoulder, looking up at Maggie.

“You miss them?”

“I do…”

Maggie knew something Y/N didn’t, but she’s so young that she didn’t know how to go about it.

“Do you even know how to ride a horse?” Y/N asks the archer who was going out to search for the other kid he’s mentioned to her before. Even in a short span of days, she’s somehow got him to talk a lot.

“Shouldn’t be too hard” Daryl states getting on the horse as Y/N gave him a worried look. “I’ll be fine kid. Maybe I’ll find your parents while I’m out there”

Doubt it. Y/N frowns watching the archer leave on the horse as she decided to ignore everyone that told her to stay at the Greene farm. She knew the surrounding forest better than any of them, it was her home away from home even before the sickos.

It’s been a few hours and parts of the group were starting to wonder where Daryl went off to. But when the shout of “walker” echoed through, making Rick, Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog run out into the field given it was only the one. Which triggered Andrea to ready her sniper from on top of the RV going to take the shot if none of them were going to do anything.

Right as Rick aimed his colt at the dirtied Daryl that who can blame anyone for thinking he was a walker, he noticed Y/N with him mainly covered in walker blood.

“That’s the third time you pointed that thing at my head” Daryl scoffs exhausted as Y/N looks at him confused by such comment which left Rick with a guilty expression. “You gonna pull the trigger or what?”

And out of an anxious instinct, Y/N used her entire body to knock Daryl off balance when a shot rang through. The bullet missed and Daryl fell on his ass. The others quickly turned around to know it was Andrea that shot and while some had a relieved look that she didn’t land the shot, Glenn watches the kid anxiously step away from the group holding onto her shirt with a death grip.

“Hey, Y/N, breathe” Glenn frowns kneeling before her as Shane and Rick got Daryl on his feet helping him to the farm to access his injuries prior to the almost fatal one. “You’re okay, everything is okay” he did his best to reassure her even if she felt trapped in her own self.

________

“You stay right here okay? Where it’s safe” Her dad stated on his way out of their home first as her mother approaches her with a smile taking a hold of her face.

“You be safe, sweet pea.” She smiles warmly, kissing her cheek before straightening up. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a deer while we’re gone”

“How long will it be again?” Y/N frowns watching her mother’s expression falter slightly when thinking of a time frame. “Can I come find you after a few days?”

“It’s not safe with the undead out there sweet pea…but…if it’s been three days and no sign of us. Then okay. But remember” Her mother gestured at her own knife strapped to her belt. “Don’t forget yours if you leave the fence”

Once she watched Y/N nod in understanding of her words, she left to catch up to her husband. Leaving the poor kid alone…

When more than three days passed, Y/N had been searching for her parents but stopped for a moment to hide when she heard the gun shot ring through the forest. Thinking the worse possible thing and when she tried to trace back to where it could’ve happened.

All there was was a dead deer.

________

Y/N didn’t feel it happen when Glenn had picked her up during her frozen state. She did hold onto him as tight as she could when they returned to the house. Soon being taken by a few of the Greenes to get cleaned up while Hershel was taking care of Daryl.

When it became night, Daryl flinched awake out of habit as it made him wince slightly to the wound caused by his arrow. He looked over to the bench by the window finding Y/N sound asleep using what may have been her father’s coat given how big it was, as a blanket to cover her.

He wanted to wake her to ask if she was alright because of what she saw happen to him in its raw state. But then he heard hushed whispers on the other side of the door and given how dark it was, it could only been the family that lives in the house. He got up tiredly but quiet enough to not stir the child awake and to eavesdrop.

“She can’t know”

“Frankly. None of them can.”

“But it’s her parents and our family. Plus a few others that hell, they are looking for someone! Maybe it could be—-“

“Maggie. Enough. They wouldn’t understand why we do it and I ain’t about to argue further”

Daryl was left even more confused and didn’t want to think further of it. Unless more related to such could come into view.

Then news of walkers being in the barn sprung out and Shane was having one of…many…moments. He had to make matters worse by opening up the can of worms which lead to a few realizations after the gunfire…

Like the child they’ve been missing being the last to step out…

And her now permanently deceased parents on the ground…

The archer was holding Carol back when he watched Y/N pull herself away from Lori who grabbed onto her and Carl when the firing started. She slowly approached the pile of bodies and stepped over a few before kneeling down beside her mother seeing where she’s been bitten. The tears build up in her eyes and before she could even grieve she had to act fast. Her mother reanimated and it scared those watching until they watched the young girl take her knife out plunging it into her skull. The tears came faster as her once inaudible crying became noticeable when she flopped her body over her mother holding onto her until she eventually stopped crying.

After the group burned the bodies and left those who were mourning, alone, Daryl had moved his camp away from the main camp given he failed his friend and this kid. The loss affected him and everyone knew for the most part. Hell he got hurt searching for Sophia. He didn’t want to deal with anybody for a while.

But now this kid that snuck their way into his chest, was parentless and also not talking to anyone. Daryl didn’t want them to suffer alone but didn’t exactly know how to talk about it either. He sort of lost his parents around her age.

He woke one night to stirring and when he left his tent, he watches Y/N disappear into the woods.

“The fuck…” Daryl whispers to himself as he picks up his crossbow following after her.

He didn’t get very far when he found her climbing into one of the trees to sleep in. He didn’t want to give away his position but made sure nothing was around before taking note of where she was then returning to his tent. The following morning, Daryl didn’t have to go and check on her. She was seated by the tree close to his tent hugging herself.

“Yea hungry?”

“No”

“Tired?”

Y/N shrugs bringing her gaze back to the floor kicking a bit of the dirt. Daryl frowns watching her a moment before going to get her something to eat rather she does or not. But she did, she did everything Daryl asked of her for the most part even if she would go in the forest every now and then to avoid certain people’s existence. Mainly Shane’s.

Then at night, Daryl would step out of his tent finding Y/N asleep in the dirt with her jacket as a blanket. He quietly approached the kid picking her up and bringing her to his tent letting her take the cot and getting her comfortable before laying on the floor.

“…Daryl?”

“Hm?”

“Does it always hurt this much…” Y/N whispers curling up in the blanket he covered her with as she tried not to start sobbing again.

Daryl stares blankly at the roof of the tent fiddling with his bolt.

“It gets better. At its own pace”

“…I wish it didn’t hurt this bad”

“Again, it’ll get better. Temporarily but there will be good moments”

Y/N rolls over looking at Daryl for a moment before getting comfortable once more.

“You won’t leave me right…?”

“I barely know yea” Daryl states immediately but he looked over to the kid seeing her confused expression. “But I won’t let anythin’ happen to yea”

[quin-ns]

Stay With Me (Rick Flag x Reader)

Word count: 4K

Tags: tss spoilers, more of Harley’s and the reader’s friendship than necessary (sorry not sorry), canon violence and death, injured reader, worried flag, angst, fluff, mutual pining, love confessions, kissing, a lil bit cheesy but happy ending

Summary: Harley is sure colonel Flag has a thing for you, but you’re not so sure. Then, when the mission turns sideways and you get hurt, everything changes.

A/N: first fic on my brand new blog! Idk if anyone will see this yet but oh well, I’m still excited since I love Rick so much 🥰

Misc masterlist + main masterlist

As you boarded the helicopter and got into your seat, you couldn’t help the way your heart raced a little bit. Missions always excited you in a weird way. Sure, there was the perk of getting time off your sentence, but what you really liked was the adrenaline rush.

Being locked in a cell almost all day everyday was so dull. Your only solace from the boredom inside was the fact your friends were close by. They also both happened to be joining on the mission to Corto Maltese. Well, Harley Quinn would be joining you on the team—Rick Flag would be leading it.

You had no idea where Harley was, all you could see were male faces in the group boarding. Except for Mongal, but you obviously could tell her apart from Harley. Oh, and the Weasel. But once again, there was no way he’d blend in either.

You looked to Colonel Flag, ready to get up and ask him if he was sure Harley was coming, but he was busy directing everyone to their seats. He caught your eye and shot you a quick smirk before returning his focus to herding everyone on board. You ignored the way your cheeks started to feel warm from it.

Your eyes lingered on Rick for a bit longer, secretly loving the authoritative look on his handsome face. Despite the roughness that came with his job, he always looked at you with kindness and treated you as an equal. He talked to you differently than he did everyone else. He had a very obvious soft spot for you (he knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it), but it was never pointed out out loud. You thought it was sweet, but you’d never say that out loud either. You let out a dreamy sigh and turned your head away from him. You couldn’t let him or the others catch you staring.

Across from you, you were shocked to find the Weasel looking at you. It made your eyes go wide and you jumped a little at the sight of the feral looking creature.

Beside you, a weight crashed down and you turned your head again. You were met with Blackguard’s smiling face.

“Hi.”

“Um, hi,” you responded, letting your slight confusion appear on your face. You’d gone on a mission with him maybe only twice, but it was enough that he should know that—

“That’s my seat!” Harley’s voice echoed through the Helicopter. She made her way over and stopped right in front of Blackguard. She looked stunned that he would even dare to sit there.

Blackguard shrugged. “You snooze, you lose,” he said dismissively, focusing back on you. It was starting to become more clear why he wouldn’t give up his spot beside you. “So anyway-”

“Move!” Harley yelled this time, growing frustrated. If she didn’t look like she was about to kill him you would’ve laughed. He ignored her, which led to Harley narrowing her eyes. She leaned down and got in his face and that time you did laugh. “Listen here you little—

“Would you mind letting my friend sit in that seat? Please?” you asked loudly yet sweetly to interrupt her threat.

Blackguard’s cheeky smile grew wider. “What, we can’t be friends?”

Loud footsteps came up from the side. “Blackguard, move,” Flag ordered firmly. He was always looking out for you and even Harley. There was something else in his tone, though. In the stern expression on his face as he stared down Blackguard.

Finally, the bleach-blonde criminal scoffed. “Fine,” he said, obviously reluctant. He stood up and moved to a seat across from you and Harley, landing beside the Weasel. You shot Flag an appreciative smile before he walked away.

“Jeez Louise,” Harley scoffed out as she finally took her seat beside you. “Whatta brat.”

You smirked to yourself. “Maybe try getting here on time,” you said jokingly.

“Oh please,” Harley said sarcastically. “Everyone knows I always sit by you. We’re like a—uh—dynamic duo,” she declared, seemingly proud of herself for coming up with that.

““Dynamic duo”?” you parroted back, amused. “Careful, Harley. You’re gonna make us sound like heroes.”

Harley shrugged. “You maybe, not me.”

You laughed a little at that. “How am I a hero?”

Harley scoffed at your question, which was underlined with sarcasm. “Oh please.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “You stole money from a bunch of rich jerks and gave it to people who needed it. You’re like, uh, who’s that boy that wears the tights?”

You laughed and ventured a guess. “Robin Hood?”

“Yeah! That’s you,” she retorted, grinning at you.

You looked at her and met her eyes before facing forward again. “Well if that’s true, then why am I sitting here?”

When you first met Harley and you told her why you were in Belle Reve, she had laughed in your face. She didn’t believe you, claiming you were undercover or lying. That only actual bad guys ended up in that prison.

She finally believed you when you revealed one of the “rich jerks” as she had put it that you had stolen from was Bruce Wayne. It made a lot more sense then. Because of the fact that you’d been able to steal money from one of the most well known billionaires in the nation, you were deemed too dangerous to go to any other prison. “Who knows what else she’s capable of?” they would always say.

After that admission, you gained Harley’s trust quickly. She seemed to admire you a bit even. It wasn’t long before you two formulated the strongest friendship you ever had. Now, years later, you were inseparable. Even when Harley got out of prison she came back to visit (and smuggle you out for girls night on more than one occasion, but no one needed to know that).

She still teased you about it, though. That’s just the relationship you had.

Harley pondered over the question for a few seconds, before saying, “they can afford better lawyers?” It came out as a question and you burst out laughing. Harley joined you because hey, it was true.

Harley’s eyes drifted away from you to look past. “Aw, how cute,” she said teasingly.

You furrowed your brows a little and turned to face her again. “What?”

“Loverboy is starin’ at you again.” She gave a smug smile and wiggled her brows.

“Who?”

“Who”?” Harley said mockingly. “Don’t act like you don’t know.” She rolled her eyes when you didn’t say anything, but the cheeky smile remained. “Flag, obviously,” she revealed in a taunting whisper. “He’s got a thing for you.”

As much as you wished it was true, you doubted it. Still, you couldn’t hide the blush that dusted your cheeks at the mere thought. “What? No he doesn’t.”

“Uh, yes he does,” she countered sassily. “He’s always looking at you and worrying about you. He likes you.” Your silence and the look you shot her told Harley you were unconvinced, so she continued. “What? You think it’s a coincidence he’s always leading whatever team you’re on?”

Finally, she got a rise out of you. “That’s his job, Harley.”

“Fine. Sure. Whatever you gotta tell yourself,” she said, acting dismissive.

You wondered what her goal was—she always pushed this so hard. Harley wasn’t an easy read, though. Half the time you had no clue what she was thinking, but she was always persistent about this.

You shot a glance Flag’s way after making a mental note to not look over at him while Harley was basically gossiping about the man. You met his gaze briefly, realizing he had been looking at you, before you both looked away.

You and Harley hadn’t been the only ones chatting, but all noise coincidentally died down in unison. The quiet only lasted for a few moments before everyone got rowdy. Javelin asked about T.D.K’s name, Harley fawned over Javelin’s accent, and Blackguard asked what the Weasel was. He thought it was a dog, Harley thought it was a werewolf. That freaked Blackguard out, causing him to panic. Suddenly everyone was talking over each other, which caused Rick to have to scold the group. You just sat back and laughed.

About a minute later there wasn’t enough time for any more chaos. The helicopter had arrived at the drop point.

You and Harley planned to jump together, letting a few others go first. When you got to the open door, a large hand landed on your back. You looked to your side and found it belonged to Rick.

“I’ll see you down there. Good luck,” he said loudly over the sound of the helicopter. You thanked him with a nod before Harley grabbed your hand and jumped. You went down with her, holding your breath just in time as you hit the water.

It turned out that the Weasel couldn’t swim, so you were already down a team member. You heard Rick yelling about it in frustration from above into his com. Things were already off to a not so great start.

You and Harley started swimming to the shore as you heard one final splash. Colonel Flag had jumped in, meaning the mission had officially begun.

When you two reached the shore together, you and Harley worked to lug a bag containing two guns onto the sand. Harley laughed wickedly as she pulled out the bigger and more destructive of the two for herself. You crouched behind a large rock just at the shoreline near her and waited for Rick, who was close by, to give his command.

Everyone else was too, except for Blackguard. He stepped out despite Colonel Flag demanding he stopped.

Things went from okay to bad to worse very quickly after that.

Next thing you knew, you were being shot at. The task force had been sold out by Blackguard and Waller refused to let your team retreat.

Evidently that was good enough for Harley, so she stood and fired an explosive from her oversized gun. Rick protested but Harley couldn’t be controlled.

He turned and gave you a look that could be compared to a fed up babysitter. You let out a loud laugh despite bullets flying overhead. A smile plastered itself on your face as the rush hit, grabbing your gun. Rick looked at you like you were insane.

“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” he yelled to you, probably only halfway joking. You turned your head and met his eyes.

“You love it,” you teased, grinning. You looked back forward, missing the expression that told you how right you were.

“Quit flirting and come on!” Harley screamed at you and then began running, trying to get closer.

You took off after her, having no idea what her plan was but trusting her with your life. Flag screamed your name but you were already gone. Harley was running at full speed, dodging bullets with an energized look on her face. She thrived in chaos.

You fired your gun as you ran, unsure if you even hit any targets. Turns out you had and suddenly more members of the army focused on trying to take you down. You spotted a good place for cover behind a huge rock and took off in a different direction towards it. Harley caught you in her peripheral and changed course to follow you this time. She did a somersault as a bullet just missed her and landed right beside you safely.

Neither of you looked over the large rock, trying to stay out of harm's way for a brief moment. Just to catch your breath.

Loud gunfire from your side of the beach approached and the next thing you knew, Flag was landing on the ground beside you.

“You can’t fucking take off like that,” he reprimanded, a little out of breath. “You okay?” he asked calmer, looking you over.

“Never better,” you quipped back. He cracked a smile but it quickly disappeared when Waller’s voice came over the com to give the colonel an order.

Harley opened her mouth to make a snide comment about how Flag had gone after you (you could tell by the look on her face when she saw him) but her attention was drawn to T.D.K, who was actually called The Detachable Kid.

That went badly… and weirdly. Harley cursed, confused. Flag was frustrated, screaming about how he didn’t pick the team. You were just… speechless at the moment. No other mission had gone so bad so fast. You wondered what the hell you all had done to Waller for her to stick you with these amateurs.

Mongal only made matters worse. And yes, somehow things could get worse. Areas of the beach erupted into flames as the enemy helicopter crashed to the ground.

The entire team was being taken out one by one, mostly by its own recklessness. Unfortunately, Harley joined in—on what could only be described as stupidity—to run out from the safety of the rock into the warfare when she saw Boomerang go down.

A firm hand wrapped around your bicep before you could even think to stand. “Don’t you dare,” Flag warned.

“Harley-“

“Harley made her choice,” he stated sternly, jaw clenched. He stared you in the eye as he said, “I’m not letting you make the same one, you’re staying with me.”

As much as you cared for Rick, you were growing angry. “And what the hell makes me so special, huh?” you spit out. Harley was your closest friend and you couldn’t believe he was stopping you from trying to help.

Rick’s gaze was intense as you held it, challenging him. You were waiting for the tough take-no-shit-from-anyone Colonel to come out. But it didn’t. “Thought you knew me better than to have to ask me that,” he replied instead, not as rough as before but not soft by any means. He even sounded a little… hurt?

You were taken aback, not expecting that after preparing for him to finally snap at you. Lord knows you pushed him a few times, but yet another time went by without it happening. You wondered if you could even make him mad. It’s not like you wanted to, but the favoritism was apparent. It was like a theory you wanted to test.

The gunfire was still raging on and it seemed like you two were the only ones who could make a decent getaway. You swallowed your concern and started thinking tactically. “We need to move,” you decided. Harley was tough and smart, if anyone could survive out there alone it was her. You had to be selfish and think about your’s and Rick’s safety for now. “We can run for the jungle and try to hide long enough for Waller to send a rescue team. It’s our best move.”

Rick was silent for a moment before deciding. “You’re right. We go on three and you stay with me. Understood?”

“I will. I promise,” you said in confirmation.

His countdown came quick and you were on your feet running even quicker. You were in a full on sprint, no weapon (you had gotten up so fast you left your gun behind), just trying to head for cover. Rick was close behind, shooting as he ran with you.

When you stopped hearing him fire, fear overcame you. You paused running only briefly to look over your shoulder. Thankfully Rick was still on his feet. He had just run out of bullets and was tossing his gun to the ground to lose the dead weight.

A sudden pain stuck on your left shoulder and spread through your body in a jolt, but you had no time to fixate on it as Rick was charging forward. He grabbed you by the bicep to get you moving again. You winced in pain but he didn’t notice. When you started running, you barely did either.

His hand fell off as the two of you made it into the jungle. It was a steep path down and dark as hell. Your head was spinning and you were breathing heavily. You only made it about another minute before you started stumbling on your feet.

You didn’t even realize you’d hit the ground on your back until you saw Flag crouch down over you.

“Y/N, what-“ he fell silent, eyes wide. He touched the inside of your shoulder just above your chest and you grit your teeth in pain. When he pulled his hand away, it was a deep red. Even in the dark you could tell. “You’re shot,” he realized, horrified.

So that’s what the pain was. Made sense. How had you not noticed you’d gotten shot? Probably the adrenaline. You laughed to yourself, the world around you swirling. God, you were tired.

“Y/N, can you hear me?” Rick asked, cutting off the rapid inner monologue. He was more panicked than you’d ever seen him, and given the situations he had been in that was saying a lot.

“It’s fine,” you lied very unconvincingly. You didn’t want him to worry so much. It made you sad seeing him sad.

“Bullshit,” he shot back, clearly upset. With you, with himself, with the mission; you weren’t sure. You didn’t have the energy to figure out which.Thinking was too tiring. You just wanted to sleep. “Hey! No! Don’t close your eyes,” Flag ordered.

There was his Colonel's voice. First time ever he’d used it on you, but there was no true bite to it. It was just demanding and full of fear that he was terrible at hiding. It was endearing, honestly. Proved he cared. It made you smile. Your mind started to scatter, thoughts started leaving your brain. If you weren’t in pain it would’ve been peaceful.

“You’re not bleeding out on me, you hear? Stay with me, Y/N.” Rick’s hands came down to hold your face. His hand was sticky with blood—your blood—but you didn’t have the energy to cringe. He leaned down a little more, looking into your hazy eyes. “Stay with me.” The desperation on his face made your heart ache. You weren’t smiling anymore. “You promised me,” he said in almost a whisper.

“I meant it,” you rasped out in response to his pleas.

Curiosity overcame you, so you reached your hand up your body and pressed it to your own wound. You hissed at the sting, realizing how bad it was. He was scared of you bleeding out, which was starting to feel possible.

Rick started talking again, but not to you. You pulled your hand back and stared at your own blood, listening as Rick’s desperate begging for Waller to help went ignored.

Eventually his voice faded. Everything faded. Last thing you were able to comprehend was being hoisted off the ground—an arm under your back and an arm under your legs—and your head falling against Flag’s chest.

Then everything went black.

Bright light through your eyelids made them flutter open slowly. Your head was aching and your eyes were tired. You scanned the area and realized you were flat on your back on what felt like a table, staring up at the ceiling of a hut.

You heard a sigh of relief and then a pleasantly familiar voice. “She’s awake,” Rick announced. You turned your head to the side you had heard his voice from and found him smiling down at you. “Hey there,” he said softly, his hand raising to brush a strand of hair from your face.

That’s when you realized that his other hand was occupied with holding yours.

You opened your mouth to speak, but your voice caught in your sore throat.

“Hey,” Rick addressed someone else in the room. “Water- can I get some water?”

You heard footsteps and turned your head to the other side to find a woman with tanned skin and black hair offering you a cup. You accepted it with your free hand, not wanting to let Rick’s go. You gave a silent thanks before sipping at it, still laying down.

You took a deep breath before finally talking. “Who are you?” was the first thing you ended up saying.

“Sol Soria,” the woman introduced, offering a smile.

“She’s a member of the resistance,” Rick explained. “She helped patch you up.”

Your memory started flying back, starting with your wounded shoulder. It ached more now that you were aware of that. You looked down at yourself then and saw the top layers of your outfit had been stripped off, leaving you in your tank top with a large bandage wrapped around your wound.

Rick squeezed your hand reassuringly. “I was so worried about you,” he confessed. “But you’re okay now. We’re safe here.”

Last you remembered you were bleeding out in the jungle. When you looked at Rick again, you realized he was missing his shirt and his face that had once been dirtied up was now clean. You could feel that the dirt and blood had been cleaned from your skin as well.

“How did I get here?” you wondered aloud.

“Your man there,” Sol Soria spoke up with a smile, gesturing to Flag. “He carried you all the way here. Wouldn’t leave your side either until you woke up.”

You vaguely remembered being lifted but the fact that Flag had done all that just for you… you didn’t know what to say. “You carried me the whole way?” you asked with slight disbelief.

Rick smiled softly down at you with caring eyes. “I had to make sure you were safe.”

“And you are now. Both of you,” Sol Soria assured. “I’ll find some fresh clothes.” She exited the hut then, leaving you and Rick alone.

“Why?” you asked after a few beats of silence.

You tried to sit up then, struggling a little. Flag got to his feet from his chair and helped you steady yourself. One hand was on your arm just above your elbow and the other stayed holding yours.

Rick took a deep breath through his nose then sighed. You stared up at him as he towered over you. His hand that held yours suddenly lifted. You weren’t expecting him to press a soft kiss to the back of your hand.

“You know why.”

Everything finally added up—everything Harley had been telling you for months. The stolen glances and lingering touches that you thought were accidental, the shared smiles and laughs you thought were friendly, the worry and concern he seemed to only have for you, and so much more that was now replaying in your head. You had been denying it for so long, not letting yourself believe it to save yourself from being wrong—from being hurt—but now you couldn’t do anything but accept it. And you were happy to.

“Yeah, I do.” A smile spread across your face. “Still…” you met his eyes to find him staring back. This time neither of you looked away. “I wanna hear you say it.”

Rick smiled bashfully to himself, looking down briefly. “I’ve been wanting to,” he admitted. “For a while.”

You tilted your head to the side, curious, remembering that it wasn’t just you who had kept your feelings hidden. “Why haven’t you?”

Flag let out a small chuckle to himself. It sounded a little self loathing and a little amused. “Didn’t know if I could take it if I didn’t hear it back.”

The confession left you stunned. How could he think that? How could he not know your heart had been his this whole time? You released his hand then, which caused him to freeze. You quickly squashed his quiet panic when both of your hands cupped his face.

“You never had to worry about that,” you assured him softly.

You held each other’s gaze for another long moment.

Then, you made the first move. You pulled him in slowly, leaning up. Rick was quick to react, however, meeting you more than half way.

His hand gripped the back of your neck as his lips crashed against yours. The kiss was full of passion and love and lust as you two finally released all of the pent up emotions. It was everything you had ever dreamed of.

Rick pulled back first, breathless. His forehead pressed to yours and your lips brushed together. “I love you,” he panted out softly against your lips. “More than you realize.”

“I love you, too,” you breathed out. A grin flashed across Rick’s lips before he resumed the kiss.

You couldn't believe you had waited this long, but it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that he felt the same as you and no unspoken words stood in the way anymore.

[ohmyteez]

Change of Plans

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader (only mentioned)

Pronouns: She/Her

Summary: The group is forced to kneel in front of Negan and watch as he kills their friend in cold blood and almost someone else too, but you had enough and step in, causing a change of plans to go in motion.

Warnings: canon divergence in the end, 6x16 and 7x01 spoilers/warnings, angst

Word Count: 3.2k

Note: as "requested" by @gracielukas, here comes the line-up from 6x16 and 7x01. GLENN LIVES BECAUSE HE DESERVED BETTER THANK U. i actually really like how this turned out, so I hope you do too. feedback is always welcome, requests are open! <3

You were trapped, there was no way out of it now. The whistling echoing through the woods was deafening. You were surrounded by the Saviors illuminated by beams of light, all of their lips puckered up as the high-pitched notes fell from them. The guns your group was aiming at the Saviors were nothing compared to the firepower they had, you would all be dead before any of you could pull the trigger.

One of the Saviors started talking, but you didn’t pay attention. You couldn’t. Not with the endless horrible scenarios running through your mind right now about how this all could go.

The Savior raised his voice at Rick, causing you and some others to flinch before a couple other Saviors started coming towards you. They forcefully took your weapons from you – the weapons you’d stolen from them not too long ago when you took over one of their outposts.

Then, you were all pushed forward, told to get on your knees. And pray, you thought. Angry tears welled in your eyes as you glared at the Savior, balling your hands into fists by your sides. Next, you watched as the Savior called for Dwight – you remembered Dwight, that son of a bitch. He was the one that double-crossed Daryl after he was kind enough to help him get away from the Saviors. You hated Dwight with a burning passion and there he was, walking towards a transporter. You caught sight of the all too familiar angel wings on the back of the vest he was wearing, Daryl’s vest, and the crossbow he was carrying; also, Daryl’s.

Rick must’ve noticed too because as soon as you locked your angry eyes with his reddened ones, he shook his head just barely. You couldn’t step out of line now, not with the enemy behind you, next to you, in front of you. So, you stayed, watching helplessly as Dwight opened the doors to the back of the transporter. He reached in and out came Daryl, Michonne, Rosita, and Glenn. You shifted on your knees at the sight of Daryl, all beat up and bloody with a flimsy sheet hanging around his shoulders. Glenn gasped out Maggie’s name, who was crying a couple people beside you, and soon, the remaining four of your group were pushed to a kneeling position with the rest of you.

“All right! We got a full boat. Let's meet the man.” The Savior shouted while he walked towards the RV before he knocked on the door of it. It felt like hours passed until the doors opened, but when they did, you held your breath.

“Pissing our pants yet?” Shouted the man enthusiastically, “Boy, do I have a feeling we're getting close. Yep. It's gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon. Which one of you pricks is the leader?”

He seemed too happy to be here – too eager. His barbed-wire wrapped bat swung loosely around in his hand while he stalked towards your group all smiles, before stopping in front of you. One of the Saviors had spoken up about Rick, telling him that he was your leader, so the man in the leather jacket walked up to him.

“Hi. You're Rick, right? I'm Negan.” He grinned, but the smile quickly faltered, “And I do not appreciate you killing my men. Also, when I sent my people to kill your people for killing my people, you killed more of my people. Not cool. Not cool. You have no idea how not cool that shit is.”

So, this was the infamous Negan everyone was so afraid of. You had to admit that he was scary. It was the fact that he seemed so unbothered by death and the way he smiled when people cowered before him. He was a leader – no, more like a dictator. People blindly followed his orders, calling themselves by his name and giving him everything he asks for. He was nothing more than a horrible person and you wanted him dead, right now more than before.

He kept talking and talking, walking back and forth and swinging his bat around like it was a toy. He explained to you how it was going to go from now on. That you’d be working for him, providing for him – otherwise he’d kill you all. You certainly were trapped, there was no safe way out of this.

Rick hadn’t said a word this whole time, trembling and crying next to you while he stared at Negan who still had that same cheeky grin on his face. Negan then stopped, “What, no answer?”

His eyes roamed along your group, eyeing each and every one of you, “You don't really think that you were gonna get through this without being punished, now, did you? I don't want to kill you people. Just want to make that clear from the get-go. I want you to work for me.”

Jesus Christ, did he ever stop talking? How can he get anything done when he talks so much? You’d zoned out again, red eyes trying to read the man’s lips as he spoke but you could barely make out anything he was saying. You remembered when the Hilltop told you what the Saviors had done. That they had them lined up exactly like you were right at this moment. That Negan had bashed the heads of two of their people in. You feared that this was about to happen to you.

“This-- this is Lucille, and she is awesome. All this, all this is just so we can pick out which one of you gets the honor.” Negan said and inhaled sharply, walking back and forth in front of your group again. He ran a hand over his beard and huffed, “Huh. Ugh, I gotta shave this shit.”

Then, he stopped in front of Carl, your head turning to watch the scene unfold as Negan squatted down to be on eye level with the boy. Negan grinned again, “You got one of our guns. Whoa. Yeah. You got a lot of our guns.”

Carl didn’t say anything back, making Negan chuckle, “Shit, kid, lighten up. At least cry a little.”

Negan then stood back up and cleared his throat, walking the line the other way before he stopped in front of Maggie, laughing. He told her she looked terrible, that he should put her out of her misery, and got ready to swing his bat when Glenn lunged forward, screaming. Then Maggie started screaming on top of Glenn’s protests and yells until Glenn was forced back in line, whimpering and rocking on his knees. He so desperately wanted to be with Maggie right now. You knew the feeling. Hell, you wanted nothing more than to be next to Daryl right now. To take him back to Alexandria and patch him up, but your gut told you that you would not get the chance to.

Negan was talking again and your eyes focused back on him, trying to find a weak spot somewhere – anywhere. The man was impossible to read and even more impossible to figure out and you hated it. You hated every single second of being here, kneeling on the ground like you were worth nothing. To Negan, you surely weren’t.

“All right, listen. Don't any of you do that again. I will shut that shit down, no exceptions. First one's free. It's an emotional moment, I get it. Sucks, don't it? The moment you realize you don't know shit. This is your kid, right?” Negan said and pointed his bat towards Carl, watching Rick’s reaction closely before he let out a laugh, “This is definitely your kid.”

“Just stop this!” Rick then yelled, frustrated and angry and Negan certainly didn’t appreciate that. His shit-eating grin faltered just a little, but only a fraction of a second, before it graced his lips again.

“Hey! Do not make me kill the little future serial killer. Don't make it easy on me. I gotta pick somebody. Everybody's at the table waiting for me to order.” He whistled the usual tune, starting his march along the line again, “I simply cannot decide.”

Then, he chuckled, “I got an idea.”

Negan lifted his bat and aimed it at the first person in line, “Eenie...”

He kept going and going, reciting the children’s counting with each person his bat faced, causing whoever was in front of it to cower. He moved and moved until he stopped in front of Abraham with another grin, “Anybody moves, anybody says anything, cut the boy's other eye out and feed it to his father and then we'll start. You can breathe, you can blink, you can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doing that.”

The next moment went by in slow motion as Negan swung his bat and let it collide with the top of Abraham’s head. The group screamed and cried out as Abraham slumped over, his head cut open and bleeding but that bastard rose up again, glaring at Negan through the blood trickling down his forehead. Negan then laughed, apparently impressed by Abraham’s will to survive but he had no mercy. He swung his bat once more, this time with more force, and slammed it against Abraham’s head again. The man had no choice but to fall down fully this time, losing consciousness and Negan took that as his cue to bash on his head that rested on the ground beneath over and over again. The sound it made had you feeling sick to your stomach and you forced yourself to look away, tears falling down your cheeks as you fixed your gaze on the ground.

“You guys, look at my dirty girl!” Negan said with a laugh, seemingly amused by the whole situation, and walked towards Rosita, who had her attention focused on the ground as well. “Sweetheart... Lay your eyes on this.”

But Rosita didn’t look. She couldn’t and you understood. Rosita loved Abraham. Even though she never confessed to it, you knew. You knew because the way she looked at Abraham was the same way you looked at Daryl. You hated seeing her like this. She was your friend, your family, and all you could do was sit here and do nothing.

Negan waved the bat in front of her face, wanting to get her attention but Rosita still didn’t look. Negan then sighed heavily, “Oh, damn. Were you -- Were you together? That sucks. But if you were, you should know there was a reason for all this. Red -- and hell, he was, is, and will ever be red. He just took one or six or seven for the team! So take...a damn look.”

Still, Rosita persisted, her gaze remaining on the ground, “Take a damn look!”

That made Daryl snap as he jumped up quicker than any of you could register and punched Negan in the face, only to be tackled by a couple of Saviors right after. You wanted to scream for them to stop, jump up and run towards Daryl, help him. But you couldn’t. You were glued to the spot and all you could really do was watch as they held him down and Dwight walked over, aiming the crossbow to his head. Through the struggle, Daryl’s eyes met your own and you silently pleaded with him to stop.

Dwight was eager to let the loaded arrow go, drive it straight into the back of Daryl’s head but Negan wouldn’t let him, telling his Saviors to put him back in line. They picked Daryl up and pushed him towards you, your arms instinctively reaching out to steady him as he fell to his knees. He crawled over and turned around, back to facing Negan who was, or never stopped, grinning.

You slowly reached a shaking hand out towards Daryl’s and placed it on top of his, glancing at him through tear-filled eyes. Daryl wordlessly nudged his nose up in a nod, trying to tell you that it was okay, that he was okay but you knew it wasn’t true. He had been shot, he was bleeding and he was bruised – he wasn’t okay.

“Now, I already told you people -- first one's free, then -- what'd I say? I said I would shut that sh1t down! No exceptions.” Negan exclaimed and you huffed out a breath, your grip on Daryl’s hand tightening when he gave you a warning glance. He knew what you were about to start and he couldn’t let you.

“Now, I don't know what kind of lying assholes you've been dealing with... but I'm a man of my word. First impressions-“

“Jesus Christ, do you ever stop talking?” You snapped, feeling all eyes on you when Negan focused his attention on you. He had his eyebrows raised in surprise and a dimply smile on his face, his tongue peeking out between his teeth.

“Well, holy shit. Who’s this feisty little lady? Talking back to me, huh?” Negan said with a laugh and pointed his bat towards you, “What’s your name?”

You didn’t respond. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. Negan raised an expecting eyebrow at you, tilting his head to the side as he asked again.

“Y/N.” You finally replied and saw Rick sigh and shake his head from the corner of your eye. You knew what he was thinking but you couldn’t hold back, even if it meant that you would, most likely, die for it.

“Mm, Y/N. I like that. However, I do not appreciate you talking back to me like that. Tell you what though, I’m gonna give you an option to get out of this easy.” Negan spoke, making your blood run cold, “Easy option: You come back with me to the Sanctuary and I’m gonna pretend that this little outburst of yours didn’t happen. You’ll become one of my wives. I promise I’ll treat you real good. Not-so-easy option: I’m gonna be real offended by what you just said and I’m gonna kill another one of your people. It’s up to you.”

Breathing heavily, you glanced around your group, watching their shocked and disbelieving expressions. Some shook their heads at you, telling you nowhile others just cried silent tears. If going meant that your group would be safe, then you’d go. You had to, for them. It was either you or someone else dying and you didn’t want to have that on your conscience. So, you slipped your hand from Daryl’s and pressed your palms against your thighs, using it as help to slowly rise up from the ground. Negan followed your every move with his bat and you could hear guns cocking all around you but you didn’t show your fear.

“I will come if you promise to let my people go. Right now.” You countered and Negan swung around, sharing laughs with the Saviors before he faced you again, his bat pointed at you once more.

“If you promise that you’ll be a good wife of mine, then I can promise that.” He said, eyebrows raised expectantly, “We got a deal, Sugar?”

“Fine. But I need to see you let them go, otherwise, I’m not coming.”

“Alrighty. Damn, I like you. Woo.” Negan cheered, whistling and nudging his head at the Saviors who then retreated, their guns hanging by their sides and you let out a breath of relief. He actually listened.

“Good. Now Dwight, load her up. And him, too” Negan pointed towards Daryl while you were being led away by Dwight, fighting your hardest not to punch that motherfucker in the face right then and there.

“That wasn’t part of the deal!” You shouted, ripping away from Dwight as you stopped in your tracks.

“I want him, so I’ll have him. He's got guts -- not a little bitch like someone I know. I like him. He's mine now. But you still want to try something? "Not today, not tomorrow." "Not today, not tomorrow"? I will cut pieces off of... Hell's his name?” Negan pondered while Dwight left you to retrieve Daryl, who for once complied and let himself be led to where you were standing.

“His name’s Daryl.” You said and Negan chuckled. Dwight pushed Daryl towards you and you caught him just in time, steadying him with your hands on his shoulders. The look he gave you broke your heart and you bit your lip to stop yourself from crying. You reached up and brushed the hair that had fallen into his eyes away, running your hand along his cheek gently.

“That actually sounds right. I will cut pieces off of Daryl and put them on your doorstep -- or, better yet, I will have sweet little Y/N do it for me.” Negan said and chuckled when he saw your group’s reactions, “Ahh! Welcome to a brand-new beginning, you sorry shits! I'm gonna leave you a truck. Keep it. Use it to cart all the crap you're gonna find me. We'll be back for our first offering in one week. Until then... ta-ta.”

And with that, Dwight loaded you and Daryl into the back of the transporter and shut the double doors loudly. You closed your eyes and dropped your head against the side of the van, sighing loudly.

“Why would you do that?” Daryl then asked and you lifted your head again, trying to see him in the dark transporter.

“I did it for you. For Rick, Glenn, Maggie... I had to do something, it made me sick just sitting there waiting for something to happen.”

“So you just offer yourself to ‘im?” Daryl snapped and you sighed. You pushed yourself up so you were on your knees and crawled towards the man, stopping in front of him. You cradled his face in your hands and forced him to look at you, studying his eyes in the dark.

“Daryl. We’ll be okay – I will be. I can handle myself, you out of all people should know that.” You assured him, only receiving a low hum from him in response.

“I love you.” You told him and you felt his body stiffen. He knew you that you did, but you never said it aloud. But hearing it now, on your way to certain death, he couldn’t help but let out a sob.

“I love you, Daryl. And I will fight for you, for all of us. I will get us out of this alive and after that, we’re gonna win. We will defeat them. I know we will. Whatever it takes.” You said again and practically felt him crumble beneath you as he dropped his head on your shoulder and cried, arms wrapping around your body to pull you to him. He didn’t have to say it back, you knew he loved you. Daryl was never a man of many words – his actions spoke louder than any confession ever could. He cared for you more than he ever cared for anyone in his life. You were his life. The thing worth fighting for.

So, when he pulled away from you and you kissed him, finally, he didn’t want to let go. He’d waited for this moment for so long and it took Negan capturing you both for it to happen. When you pulled away and caressed his cheek, you yourself let out a sob – now realizing what you’d gotten yourself into. But you had to fight, you needed to. After all, you were always told you were a badass. Time to show Negan who he was dealing with.