Through the Pines - Daryl Dixion One-shot
Daryl Dixon x Reader - 3000 words
The woods had always been quiet—until him.
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The wind whistled through the woods as you crept between the trees, branches creaking overhead while leaves rustled beneath your steps. Somewhere in the distance, water rushed over stone. You had only walked these trails a handful of times before, but you loved how quiet they were. Few walkers. Even fewer people.
You stepped over another fallen tree, following the sound of rushing water deeper into the woods.
Eventually the waterfall peeked through the trees, sunlight flashing against the surface bright enough to make you squint. Damn.
You hadn’t made it this far up before.
You settled near the water’s edge, slipping off your shoes and socks before easing your feet into the stream. Sunlight poured across your skin like honey, warm and heavy beneath the afternoon heat. For a moment, you simply laid back against the grass, eyes drifting shut as water curled around your ankles.
SNAP.
You sat upright instantly at the sound of branches breaking nearby.
Before you could stand, a dog burst through the brush with a stick clamped proudly between its teeth. Relief softened through you immediately, a laugh slipping from your mouth before you could stop it.
The dog froze the second it noticed you. The stick dropped from its mouth. A bark rang through the woods.
“Shhh,” you whispered quickly, eyes widening as you lifted your hands.
The dog quieted almost immediately, watching curiously as you stood and crouched beside it, fingers rubbing along its face.
“You look too good to be out here alone.”
The words had barely left your mouth before another sound drifted through the trees.
“Dog.” A gruff voice cut sharply through the woods.
The dog bolted away, leaving you standing there with the stick in hand and a confused expression still on your face.
Wind swept through the clearing again, tugging at your curls and clothes as heavy footsteps approached.
This time, the man appeared before the dog did. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Older. And dangerously attractive.
Heat crept across your face before you could stop it. It had been years since you’d seen anyone out here, let alone someone like him.
He hadn’t noticed you yet. His crossbow was already raised slightly, posture tense like he’d been tracking something.
“That your dog, I’m assumin’?” you called out, lifting the stick slightly.
The dog barked excitedly again. The man tensed before lowering the crossbow with a quiet sigh.
“You the one got him all worked up?” His voice was deep, rough around the edges.
He slung the crossbow over his shoulder, trying a little too hard to act unaffected. It wasn’t working.
It was oddly cute.
“I was the one quieting him down,” you replied with a grin, holding your hands out toward the dog.
The dog happily bounded back toward you.
“His name?” you asked, rubbing along the sides of his face.
“Dog.” The man reached the edge of the river, hand settling awkwardly along the back of his neck like he already knew how ridiculous it sounded.
“Dog,” you repeated in a baby voice toward the animal.
Dog barked again before darting off excitedly.
A laugh escaped you as you watched him run.
“You were makin’ him bark,” the man scoffed, amusement finally creeping into his tone.
Your eyes drifted toward him properly now, tracing the salt-and-pepper beard shadowing his jaw.
“What’s your name?” you asked, a little too quickly.
His eyes caught yours immediately. He’d noticed you staring.
Still, he didn’t seem bothered by it.
“Daryl.” He said it out the side of his mouth, voice low and husky.
“So…” Your voice trailed slightly as you turned away, trying to collect yourself. “How long you and Dog been travelin’ together?”
“’Bout three years.”
You could hear the faint smirk in his voice.
His gaze lingered against your back as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and rested it between his lips. A second later, mild annoyance crossed his face as he searched for a lighter that clearly wasn’t there.
“Y’gonna help me or not?” he muttered.
“Yeah, yeah. I should have one.”
You shrugged your bag off your shoulder, digging through it until your fingers brushed against a small bag of joints.
Daryl squinted slightly. “Those what I think they are?”
You pulled out a box-shaped lighter with Suck It and See written across the front.
Holding it up with a grin, you shrugged. “Suck It and See.”
A rough huff escaped him, something dangerously close to laughter.
“…Yeah. Alright.” He took the lighter, still staring at you like you were intentionally confusing him.
“And here I thought I was funny.” You smacked your thigh toward Dog with a bright smile.
“I bet you think I’m fun, huh? Oh yeah, good boy.”
Dog immediately ran back toward you, tail wagging hard enough to shake his entire body.
You knelt beside him, laughter slipping easily from your mouth while Daryl stood nearby quietly watching. He rolled the lighter between his fingers before lighting what remained of his cigarette.
After a moment, he stepped closer and tapped your shoulder gently with the lighter.
The touch made you pause.
Butterflies stirred low in your chest as your fingers brushed against his while taking it back. His hands were rough, steady, grounding.
Wind moved through the trees again, filling the silence between you.
You slipped a joint behind your ear before wandering farther upstream toward the waterfall. Sunlight poured warm and golden across your skin while two sets of eyes followed you through the clearing.
“You gonna catch up or keep starin’?” you called over your shoulder.
Both Daryl and Dog started moving at the exact same time.
The base of the waterfall looked perfect for swimming.
You stepped barefoot into the water first, testing it carefully before a smile spread across your face.
Warm.
By the time the water reached your knees, you’d lit the joint, smoke drifting lazily into the air as you tilted your head toward the sky.
Dog paddled happily into the water while Daryl lingered near the edge watching quietly.
“Nice in there?” he called.
You turned toward him slowly, smoke slipping past your lips.
“Absolute perfection.”
You lifted the joint slightly toward him. “You’ll have to get in to get it.”
“Could just wait till ya come back,” he replied, smirking like he’d already won.
“Suit yourself.” You wandered deeper into the water.
“Promise the water won’t bite,” you teased.
“You enjoy bossin’ people around?” Daryl asked.
He stood there another second before crouching to untie his boots, eyes fixed on you standing in the water like a painting.
“Don’t act like you don’t like it.” Your hand settled against your hip as you turned back toward him. Noticing how he stared.
He stepped carefully into the shallows, water curling around his feet while his gaze never once left yours.
“You’ll have to meet me halfway.” He reached a hand toward you.
“I ain’t gettin’ my pants wet,” he added, voice rough with quiet amusement as he motioned for the joint.
“See? Ain’t too bad.” Your fingers brushed against his as you passed it over.
“Mm. Don’t look so smug.” His eyes drifted away briefly, trying to hide the faint smirk pulling at his mouth.
The two of you stood together in comfortable silence after that, watching Dog splash wildly through the water while the joint burned slowly between your fingers.
Then you splashed water back at Dog.
Dog immediately lost his mind.
Water flew everywhere as he barreled through the stream, accidentally drenching Daryl in the process.
Laughter burst from you instantly.
“Oh, this funny to you?” Daryl laughed, finally splashing water back toward you.
You shrieked, trying and failing to shield yourself while he moved closer, water crashing around both of you.
Eventually you grabbed at his wrists in an attempt to stop him.
“You’re gonna end up swimmin’ with the fish if you keep that up,” you warned between breathless laughs.
“You think you’re tough?” he shot back.
The smug look on his face sealed his fate.
“Tough enough.” Before he could react, both hands shoved hard against his chest.
Daryl stumbled backward with a curse before disappearing beneath the water completely.
For half a second there was only Dog barking excitedly and your laughter echoing beneath the waterfall.
Then Daryl resurfaced.
Wet hair hung across his face as he stared at you in disbelief.
You doubled over laughing.
“Oh, that funny?” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face.
“It’ll be real funny when it’s you,” he warned, grinning despite himself as he started toward you.
“You’d be goin’ down again,” you shot back, backing away through the water.
“We’ll see.”
Then he lunged.
You grabbed the front of his shirt as you stumbled backward, pulling both of you into the water with another violent splash.
Laughter echoed through the clearing again.
You surfaced first, wiping water from your eyes as you caught your breath.
Daryl emerged a second later just in time to watch you walking toward shore.
He pushed wet hair from his face before shaking off like a dog.
By the time you reached the bank, you were already wringing water from your clothes.
“We should get a fire goin’,” he said, climbing onto land beside you.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Daryl disappeared into the trees for firewood while you changed into dry clothes.
By nightfall, the two tents sat tucked beneath the pines with empty cans strung carefully around the campsite to warn of anything creeping too close.
The fire crackled steadily nearby, warm amber light flickering through the woods while the distant waterfall softened beneath the sounds of the night.
Daryl sat beside Dog with a beer resting loosely in his hand, eyes fixed on the flames like he’d forgotten the rest of the world existed.
You settled next to Daryl with a beer before he had noticed you. He looked over at your face glowing from the camp fire.
You always travel alone?” he asked, eyes drifting back toward the fire.
“Easier that way.”
Your answer came short and quiet.
Looking over, you noticed Daryl’s clothes were still damp, his shirt clinging to the shape of his arms while wet strands of hair hung across his face.
He nodded slightly at your answer.
Same reason he was alone now.
“You like bein’ wet or somethin’?” you teased, lifting your beer for another sip.
A rough huff escaped him, almost amused.
“Been meanin’ to get up.” He pushed himself to his feet slowly before lifting the empty bottle slightly. “Need another one’a these too.”
You nodded, watching him disappear briefly into his tent.
Dog immediately stretched across Daryl’s abandoned spot, practically laying in your lap.
You laughed softly, fingers scratching behind his ears as you leaned back beside the fire.
Sipping your beer while petting Dog was probably the calmest you’d felt in a long time.
Faint rustling drifted from Daryl’s tent while the fire crackled steadily nearby. More than half your beer was gone already, warmth settling pleasantly through your body as you stretched out beside Dog.
A few moments later, Daryl stepped from the tent wearing a white shirt and gray sweats, another beer resting loosely in his hand.
He stopped briefly at the sight of you curled beside Dog in front of the fire.
“You tryna steal my dog?” he asked, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as he looked down at the two of you.
“You’re just jealous,” you teased, tilting your head back to look at him.
Daryl scoffed softly before lowering himself beside you, your legs brushing together as he settled in. Instinctively, you leaned a little closer.
The two of you sat quietly for a while, watching the fire crackle between the trees before he finally opened his beer, breaking the silence.
Firelight flickered across the tattoo stretched over his hand.
“When’d you get that?” you asked, nodding toward it.
“Before all this,” he answered, taking a sip before stretching his hand out slightly so you could see it better.
“Heard hand tattoos hurt.”
Your fingers brushed lightly over the faded ink.
Daryl’s hand flexed beneath yours almost instantly, his eyes dropping to where your skin touched his.
“Yeah,” he muttered after a second, voice rougher now. “Worth it though.”
His eyes flickered back to your face, quietly watching you trace the lines of his tattoo.
You felt his leg relax a little more against yours.
Realizing he was already looking at you, your smile faltered into something softer before you glanced away, suddenly embarrassed by how long you’d been staring.
Daryl didn’t say anything.
Instead, he reached down to scratch behind Dog’s ears where the dog rested happily in your lap. Every now and then, his knuckles brushed lightly against your thigh, subtle enough to seem accidental.
Neither of you moved away from it. Sitting in silence. The fire cracked softly between you, sending sparks twisting into the dark.
Dog let out a quiet huff in his sleep, stretched across both your laps like he belonged there.
Daryl’s fingers stilled briefly against your thigh before he leaned back slightly, beer hanging loose from his hand.
“Ain’t many people left who laugh that much,” he muttered.
His voice was quieter now, more thoughtful than teasing.
“Ain’t many people fun anymore,” you admitted softly.
Your eyes stayed fixed on the fire as a small smile tugged at your lips.
“Today was nice.” The words faded gently into the night between you.
Daryl looked over at you then, really looked at you.
Firelight danced across his face, catching in the damp strands of hair that still refused to stay out of his eyes.
“Yeah,” he muttered after a moment.
“Been awhile since I had somethin’ close to normal.”
The admission sat between you.
Neither of you rushed to fill the silence.
Dog shifted in his sleep, letting out a content sigh as his head settled heavier into your lap.
Your fingers continued scratching absentmindedly behind his ears.
“I miss stupid stuff sometimes,” you admitted quietly.
A small smile pulled at his mouth.
Neither of you moved away.
The fire crackled softly behind you while Dog slept between the two of you, completely unaware.
Daryl’s eyes searched yours for a moment before dropping briefly to your lips.
“Thought you were supposed to be gettin’ some sleep,” you teased quietly.
A rough huff of amusement escaped him.
“Yeah.”
Neither of you made any effort to stand.
His hand found yours, thumb brushing across your knuckles absentmindedly.
The woods had gone still around you.
For a moment it felt like the rest of the world had disappeared.
Then he leaned in again, slower this time, giving you every chance to pull away.
You didn’t. Both of you took careful steps back into the tent.
The moment the tent flap closed behind you, Daryl’s hands were on you rough, impatient, fingers digging into your hips.
His mouth crashed against yours, all teeth and tongue, the kind of kiss that left no room for hesitation. You gasped when his teeth caught your lower lip, the sharp sting making your pulse jump.
One hand fisted in your hair, tilting your head back as his other hand shoved under your shirt, calloused fingers dragging over your ribs before closing around your breast.
His thumb swiped over your nipple, already hard through the thin fabric of your bra, and you arched into his touch with a whimper.
He smirked against your mouth, pinching just hard enough to make you squirm before yanking the fabric down to replace his fingers with his mouth.
You cried out when his tongue flicked over your nipple, the heat of his mouth sending a jolt straight to your core.
He sucked hard, teeth grazing the sensitive peak, and your knees nearly buckled. His free hand slid down your stomach, fingers hooking into the waistband of your jeans and wrenching them open with a sharp tug.
"Been thinkin' 'bout this all damn day," he growled, nipping at your throat as his fingers dipped lower, tracing the soaked fabric of your panties.
You shuddered, hips jerking forward, but he just chuckled darkly, dragging his touch away just as your breath hitched. "Patience."
You didn’t get the chance to protest before he was shoving your jeans down your thighs, dropping to his knees in front of you.
His breath was hot against your inner thigh, lips brushing over the delicate skin there before he hooked his fingers into your panties and tore them aside.
The first lick was slow, deliberate, a flat stroke from your entrance to your clit that had your fingers scrabbling at his shoulders. He groaned against you, the vibration making your thighs tremble, then dove in like a man starved. His tongue fucked into you, deep and messy, before circling your clit with ruthless precision. You choked on his name, hips rocking against his mouth, but he pinned you in place with one broad hand splayed across your stomach.
"Fuck, Daryl, please—" Your moans trailed off.
He ignored your plea, dragging it out, tongue flicking and sucking until your legs were shaking and your moans were bordering on sobs.
Only then did he pull back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he rose to his full height. His cock strained against his jeans, the outline obscenely thick, and you reached for him with desperate fingers.
He caught your wrist, pressing it back against the tent wall as he unbuckled his belt with his free hand.
"Mine," he muttered, shoving his jeans down just enough to free himself.
The thick head of his cock dragged through your slick, smearing it over your clit before he notched himself at your entrance.
One thrust buried him to the hilt. You gasped, nails biting into his shoulders as he stretched you impossibly full.
He didn’t give you time to adjust, pulling out halfway before slamming back in, the force of it knocking the air from your lungs.
"Fuck, you take it so good," he gritted out, hips snapping against yours in a brutal rhythm.
Every thrust dragged his cock over that sweet spot inside you, the friction sending sparks up your spine. His mouth found yours again, swallowing your moans as his pace turned punishing.
You came with a broken cry, clenching around him so hard he cursed, his rhythm faltering. He fucked you through it, his own release hitting moments later, hot and deep, his groan muffled against your shoulder as his hips stuttered.
He didn’t pull out right away, just slumped against you, forehead pressed to yours as you both caught your breath. Eventually, he eased you down onto the bedroll, cleaning you up with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the way he’d just taken you.
When he finally stretched out beside you, his arm heavy over your waist, the last thing you heard was the steady rhythm of his breathing slow, even, his body finally at rest.
