#later that day when i went out again i (also stupidly) wore sandals that cut up the back of my heels

[carcarrot]

OH MY GOD A YEAR AGO TODAY .

[oingo233]

By The Lake*Part Three

Summary:  A family friend offers you a place to stay to get away from an abusive past.  Her home is a place that you are familiar with, an old town with a large lake you spent many days in. You went there years ago for one full summer, where you became close friends with a very young Daryl Dixon.  You two were inseparable until you had to leave.  But now you’re back, escaping from a past much like his.  You will need to weave your way through the town's problematic people, your own problems, and above all the confusing Dixon.  Will you two find your way back to each other again?  Or will he push you further away?  And above all, will your past cease to haunt you?

Part one * Part Two * Part Four * Part Five

Pairing: Young Daryl Dixon x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of abuse and violence(potential triggers), cussing, more mature themes(not smut or anything tho), slow burn romance

Authors Note: Daryl Dixon is a character from the amazing show The Walking Dead, but this story is modern AU so not with all the walkers and everything.  I don’t own and I didn’t create his character.  Also this story is in no means meant to romanticize abuse, that stuff isn’t romantic. It is such a terrible, terrible thing, but it is sadly a very common thing as well.  Throughout this series I only hope that I can spread awareness about the matter, and let people know that they aren’t alone, things will get better, and that no one is deserving of any kind of abuse. Ever. Anyways, I’m done with my rant, I hope y’all like it, and if not please send in some constructive criticisms I’m always looking to improve.

Word Count: 1.7k

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I woke up to the kids screaming, at the cabin door for me to come out.  I quickly put on a bra and open the door in my pajamas.  Cherry was standing there in a pantsuit with Monty and Rosie by her side.

“Jesus (Y/N), it’s nearly 10.”  She shakes her head at me and pushes the kids inside the cabin.

“What!  That early.”  I joke, but she only humored me with a sarcastic open-mouthed laugh.  I run a hand through my messy hair and apologize.

“I’ll make a point to wake up early.  But y’all weren’t exactly detailed on the job description.” I point to the kids.  She kisses the kids goodbye on the head and stands up to face me again.

“Well my job description implies that I should have left 10 minutes ago.  And no, it is not you’re fault.”  She glares at her kids and then glances over her shoulder.  

“Mark didn��t help me at all this morning.  Daryl came over earlier than usual, something bout having less time than he thought.  Whatever, my point it that the kids are your problem now.”  She smiles at me then bolts out the door before Monty or Rosie can chase after her.  I watch her car leave with a sense of dread and excitement.  How in the heck am I supposed to keep these guys from dying of boredom?

I stare at the two of them, Rosie is sitting on my bed, and and looking out the window right into the lake...The lake!  Cherry said how Rosie loves to swim, and I’m sure Monty wouldn’t mind spending this hot day in the water. Even Mark said a day in the lake would keep them happy. 

“Would you guys like to play in the lake today?”  Rosie jumps off the bed and screeches a yes, while Monty looks at me with puppy eyes and nods his head a million times. I match my excitement to theirs and usher them outside. I get dressed into my bathing suit, while they sit on the porch waiting. I don’t bother with a shirt after my bathing suit is on, I just put on some shorts and sandals.  

As soon as I walk outside Monty and Rosie hop off the chairs and wait for me to lock the door.  When I’m done they grab both of my hands and drag me to their house.  We nearly tripped five times getting there, but finally the house came into view.  Sounds are coming from the open garage not too far away.  Some tool was going off and when it stopped a voice filled it’s place.  Daryl’s voice.  My heart dropped, he sounds a bit different but I could tell his voice from a mile away. I shake my head from any thoughts of him and walk us all forwards. The front door was unlocked so we went inside.

“Alright you two, I want you to go put on your suits and sunblock.  Grab anything else you want, and I’ll make us a picnic. You guys like that plan?”  Rosie and Monty looked at each other, nodded, then took off sprinting to their separate rooms.  

5 minutes later I had two sandwiches done, and 3 bottled waters beside them.  I run a mental list of what I need, towels, extra sunblock, food, water, a camera, maybe some toys, and whatever else I can think of.  I finish the last sandwich and grab some fruits and snacks from the fridge, which Cherry and Mark said I have free reign of.  I had my camera in the bag I brought, and I saw some sunblock in the bathroom last night.  All I need are the towels.  

I spent several more minutes trying to find those damned things, but couldn’t see them anywhere.  I brace myself for what is to come.  I have to ask Mark, and Mark is with Daryl.  

I make my way outside of the house and towards the open, metal shed.  I can see the body of the car just slightly sticking out of the garage.  I brace myself as I walk in.  Instead of my eyes finding Daryl's again, they are faced with Marks hunched over back.  Daryl was no where to be seen.  Mark was bent over the hood, fixing something with the engine I guess.

“Uh, Mark?”  I call over the loud noises.  Mark whips around and nearly hits his head on the open hood of the car.  He chuckles to himself and gives me a warm smile.  He has oil up the back of his neck, and cheek.

“Oh, hey (Y/N).”  Suddenly the loud noise stops and Mark and I hear a loud crash, followed by a sheepish “ow”.  Mark leans over the car.

“You alright Daryl?”  My cheeks burn red as Daryl emerges from under the car.  He had grease and dirt all over him, covering his deep blush, the sight of him took my breath away.  If I thought he was cute at 14...well, if my 13 year old self saw him now, I don’t even know what she would do.  Daryl avoids eye contact with me, but nods to Mark.

“M’ fine.” He mumbles.  He shuffles his feet and the air seems thicker, like he also thought this should be going different.  We should be hugging, and catching up.  But instead we can’t even look at each other without wanting to drool, or runaway.

Mark turns to me, eyeing the two of us with a sly smile.  I can only imagine how Cherry talked us up to be.  I fight the urge to roll my eyes at the thought of Cherry telling Mark all about Daryl and I when we were younger.

“Something wrong with the kids?” Mark asks me.  I quickly shake my head.

“No, they’re inside getting ready for the lake.  We’re going to be over there if you need us.”  I suddenly forgot my question for Mark when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daryl trail his eyes over me, taking me in.  I could watch him all day, looking at me like that.  Maybe I should wear this bathing suit more often.

“That all?”  Mark asks me kindly.  I laugh stupidly, god I was standing there like an idiot.  

“Uhm no, sorry.  I was wondering where the towels were?” 

“Oh sure thing.  Let me go get them for you.” Before I could stop him, Mark is out of sight and going towards the house.  Anxiety courses through me as I turn to Daryl.  But all those feelings go away when we lock eyes, we were friends once, why the hell am I so nervous?  He isn't a stranger, right?  Neither of us said a word, I wanted to say hi, or something witty but I just couldn’t get a word out.  He looked at me different, his mouth pulled in a thin line instead of that easy smile he wore years ago.  He was the first to break the silence.  

“How long you stayin’ this time?”  His voice was harsher than I ever remember it being.  It takes me a second to gather my wits.  

“I don’t know Daryl.” I thought I saw his chest still when I said his name, like he was holding his breath.  But he lets out a dry laugh and looks to the floor again.  

“Why you slummin’ it anyway?”  He said with his eyes trailing around us, then finally setting to a glare at me.  His question felt like he poked me with a sharp stick. Who did he think I was?

“This ain’t slumming it Daryl.”  I say sharply, he rolls his eyes and and scoffs.  A bitter sound.  

“Then why’d you make to leave so quick?” He shoots back. Before I could speak he cuts me off. “Nah, I bet you couldn’t wait to go back.  Princess goes back to her castle, leaving the lot of us behind.” He sets his tool down and walks around the car, getting closer to me as he spoke. “Like wiping your hands of fucking filth aint’ it.”  He seethed at me. I feel my own anger rise, why was he being like this?  

“You think I wanted to leave you!  That I wanted to leave this place.  Daryl you were my friend, my best friend.  I would’ve stayed if I didn’t have school, you know that.” I say. His jaw clenches and he walks behind me, bumping my shoulder, he grabbed a rag and wiped his hands from grease.   He smells like gas, sweat and cigarettes.

“Ya, well I don’t want no friends. You ain’t no different from any of ‘em!” He couldn’t look at me now, he threw the towel down on the table and walked back around to where he was before I disrupted him. My chest heaved and constricted.  How could he say that?  I had to go so many years ago, I had to leave him...

Mark cheerfully walks in with a stack of colorful towels in his arms.  Clearly oblivious to the tension in the room.

“Here ya go!”  He hands the towels to me and a Coke to Daryl.  “Back to business then?”  Mark jokes.  Daryl grunts a reply and picks up his tool again, giving me the cold shoulder.  I hold a snarky comment back and turn to Mark.

“Thanks Mark.  I’ll get out of your way then.” I say the last part a bit harsher than I meant to, but It wasn’t directed towards Mark.

I rush out of there, and take a few seconds to breath.  I refuse to cry, this is going to be a good day.  I walk back to the house to see Rosie standing there in a blue, ruffled bathing suit, and Monty in green swim trunks.  He was holding onto a large dinosaur floatie, that looked more like the loch ness monster.  I beam at their cuteness, feeling better already.  I tell them to hold on while I go inside to finish putting the picnic things in a bag.  I was only gone a couple of minutes before I walk out to find them with white streaks all over their body.  In my absence they put sunblock on, badly may I add.  I laugh and help them rub it in.

You three make your way to the lake, completely oblivious to Daryl’s gaze, and his sad, hidden smile, as he watched you walk away.