Hiii! I really like your content and i was wondering if you could write something about daryl like maybe he was married before the apocalypse and had a kid but he thought they died or something and never brought it up but then he saw them in alexandria as soon as he walked in and couldn’t believe they were alive and mybe some fluff or smut with that if you want i read something like it somewhere but it didn’t feel complete
My Way of Life
pairing: Wife!Reader x Daryl
summary: After being separated from his wife and child for almost 6 years, how will Daryl react when he suddenly finds them safe in Alexandria?
warnings: 18+ minors dni, smut, fluff, soft!Daryl, dad!Daryl, unprotected sex, oral sex (fem receiving), mating press (sorry I had to), YEARNING!Daryl, kissing, mentions of drugs and alcohol, angst!!, 8.5k words.
author's note: I hope you like this because I had so much fun writing it (and cried a little, but it's okay). I made the daughter unnamed because I want this to be inclusive to everyone. In my mind, Daryl is absolutely a girl dad. I hope that this was to your liking!! :) Also sorry it took so long, I go through my requests chronologically for my own sanity because apparently I can only work on one fic at a time or I'll explode.
Daryl burst through the door, stumbling through the threshold of your apartment. The sound made you jump in your seat, eyes fluttering open.
It was 4 in the morning.
A sick, twisted feeling coursed through your stomach. Daryl moved inside, with Merle in tow. A dry laugh escaped your lips. "Do you have any idea what time it is? Hell, any idea what day it is, Daryl?" Approaching him, the smell of alcohol filled your senses.
His voice slurred as he started speaking. "S'late. Tryin' to go to sleep. Merle's gonna crash here tonight." Daryl spoke like he had any authority in this moment, like he owned the place.
Like he owned you.
"The hell he is! I don't want him here." Wordlessly, Merle collapsed onto your couch and snored into the cushions. Your jaw tightened as you listened to Daryl's excuse.
"Sweetheart, we can talk in the morning." He rubbed his face and groaned softly in annoyance.
"You've been gone for 3 fucking days, don't sweetheart me." You fought back the tears that threatened to fall down your face, stinging your eyes.
Daryl frequently went on lengthy benders, spent days drinking and smoking with his older brother Merle. You would have broken up with him, divorced him.
If not for the 5-month-old that lay sleeping in your arms.
"You're gonna kill yourself. Merle's making you do these things, making you act like your father." The mere mention of Daryl's father from your mouth made him shut down.
"You shut your damn mouth." He mumbled.
"No, because you and I both know that this shit is going to kill you. And then what, you're just gonna leave me with her?" You looked down at your daughter.
His daughter.
"Are ya' gonna step up and be there for her? She doesn't even know what you look like." You stroked her cheek gently, a sad smile on your face.
"You don't-" His voice broke, breath hitching as he watched her. The baby's sleeping frame wriggled, closed eyes flicking around. She was dreaming.
"I'm gonna go to my parents' house in Virginia for a month. Takin' her with me, she'll get plenty of love from her grandparents." You heard almost a strangled whimper from Daryl, quickly pushing it away and moving to your shared bedroom.
Where you had a suitcase packed.
"Were you planning this? Wanted to leave all this time?" Daryl followed you close behind, sifting through all the things that you had already packed away, his hands shaking.
"I want to make this work, Daryl. I do, for her." You set your daughter in her bassinet.
"But I can't be the only one raising her. She needs a father who is here." You packed the rest of your items that you'd need for the trip.
"When you can handle this. When you're sober, we'll come back and try this again. That's all I want." You stopped in your tracks when you noticed what Daryl was doing.
He stood by the bassinet, staring at his daughter with sad eyes. Reaching down, he pulled a blanket over her body, tucking her in gently.
"Daryl, you can do this. You can move past this and be in her life again. But you gotta show me you can change." You grabbed the sides of his face gently.
He didn't respond. He accepted it, without pushing back.
That morning, Daryl watched you leave. He hadn't slept that night, and couldn't look you in the eye.
The world ended shortly after.
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
Phones went down within the first few days; he didn't even have a chance to call you.
Never got to see you or his daughter again.
As he moved from camp to camp with Merle, he searched the surrounding area outside of Atlanta. Looking for you, for any sign that you were here.
Any hope that you and his child were alive. His brain was frantic, coming to the worst conclusions. Realistically, how could someone raise a child in this?
When Daryl and Merle finally found Shane and his group, it was the first day that Daryl fully felt the weight of what was missing. Seeing the children in the camp, the families that were fighting through this, it made his chest tighten.
He silently cried to himself in his tent that night.
Merle caught onto his longing to see you and his baby girl right away. Watching the way Daryl would stare at Lori and Carl, like that was something he wanted.
"Bet you miss your piece of tail right about now, huh?" Merle laughed to himself. Daryl's stare shot daggers into Merle.
"Don't call her that." His stomach churned at the mention of her. She wasn't a piece of tail. She was the mother of his child, his wife.
"Just sayin', man! You oughta move on, ain't nothin' you can do about her now." Merle shrugged as he skinned a squirrel they had found, his brows furrowed as he focused on the task.
A flip switched in Daryl, and he quickly shoved Merle away. "Shut your damn mouth." His breath was rapid now, emotions heightened. "And you-" His voice cracked ever so slightly. "You're the reason she ain't here-"
Merle was the reason they had that fight that night. But Daryl knew that fight wasn't the only reason you had left.
Merle wheezed a laugh at him. "Now you know it ain't my fault, brother, that's all yours." He eyed Daryl as he was breaking into a heaving mess.
"Don't you blame me for bein' a deadbeat, did a mighty fine job of doin' that all on your own."
Deadbeat. Like his father.
The word hit Daryl like a truck, smashing his heart into pieces. Because it was true. You had spent weeks begging him to pull himself together and be there for his baby girl.
And now he'd never have the chance to see her again.
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
Daryl carried that guilt with him past the farm, the prison, and the horrific events that followed the group like a plague. His silent burden that would never be shared with another soul. Each tragedy, each person they lost, made Daryl feel heavier inside.
After Judith's birth, he saw Rick as the man he could never be. He showed up for her every time and was able to be who Judith needed to survive.
It reminded Daryl of what he was missing. Would his daughter have smiled up at him with big precious eyes? Would she have looked like you, with gorgeous hair and the cutest face?
When the group had been approached by Aaron to come live in Alexandria, Daryl had a feeling that this would just be another community that would fall to the circumstances.
To the dead outside.
By the time the group had reached the gates, Daryl had accepted the fact that you were gone. That he'd never wake up to see your sleeping frame next to him. That he'd never get to press a kiss to your lips again.
And that his daughter was gone, no longer alive. Even if she was alive, what kind of life was this for a child?
The gates of Alexandria slid open wide to let the group through. Daryl eyed the men who surrounded them with narrowed eyes.
Although Aaron had already explained the 'amenities' that the community boasted, it was surreal to see it in action. People were walking by pushing wheelbarrows of flowers and crops, and children of varying ages were playing on the front lawns of their homes.
Homes. The word felt unfamiliar in itself. Deanna cautiously approached the group, accompanied by her two sons.
It was almost too good to be true, like this was some kind of front for evil actions that lay behind the clean rows of housing, behind the trees that cornered every sidewalk.
"Welcome to Alexandria. I think you'll find that we are a good group here. My name is Deanna, I am the leader here. Before we do anything, I want to make sure that everyone is safe, so I'm going to have to ask all of you to drop your weapons off."
Daryl felt an immediate surge of caution. Leave his weapon?
"Y/n!" Deanna called your name to signal that she was ready for you. You were in charge of the weapons inventory in Alexandria.
A task you took seriously from the moment you came knocking on Alexandria's door near the start of the whole thing.
Daryl swallowed at the sound of your name, remembering how your name felt leaving his lips. Like pure honey.
A small sliver of hope rose in his. He knew that you were in Virginia when everything went down.
Maybe this is where you ended up?
"That lady over there is Y/n. She's our weapons inventory. She knows all there is to know about guns, bows, you name it. We will briefly take your weapons while we interview you." Deanna pointed to you.
Daryl followed Deanna's eyes, his breath stopping.
It was you.
You were here.
Breath hitching, he felt as if time had stopped in its tracks. You were alive.
Daryl's jaw went slack; he felt like the air had just been punched out of him.
Eyeing your cart, you began your speech about weapons. "Alright, everything you got, just toss it in here. We'll make sure everything goes back to the rightful owner."
Daryl couldn't even process what you were saying. His eyes went blurry, tears welling up before his brain caught up with what he was seeing.
He watched your movements, watched you fumble with your shirt nervously.
Like you did before.
A hand on your hip, you glanced up at suspicious eyes from their leader, Rick. "And I mean everything. I don't wanna have to search-"
A shiver ran through you as you made eye contact with him.
With Daryl.
Daryl stepped out from the group, his steps unsure and shaky. He felt as if his legs could give out at any moment.
Tears broke from your eyes, a hand gently slapped across your mouth to stop the loud sob that came out of you.
Nothing else mattered. The rest of the group could come in and ransack the place for all you cared. Daryl was here. This was real.
Dropping his crossbow without a second thought, he crossed the distance between you in a few long strides. He stopped in front of you, his dirty face stained with tears now.
Glancing you over, it was as if he was making sure you were real.
Daryl practically collapsed into you, enveloping you in a tight embrace. Your arms flew around him instinctively, sobs now wrecking you and coming out without thought.
His hands were shaking as he took your face in his hands. No words were shared, just a longing look that you hadn't seen in him.
Not since the two of you first shared your vows.
In the sound of the intense emotions both of you felt, Daryl just looked at you, admiring your features. His thumb brushed over your cheek, clearing the teary mess that had accumulated. He pressed his forehead to yours, one hand coursing through your hair, the other tightly wrapped around your waist.
"You-" Your voice was hoarse and barely audible. Speech felt impossible, like all you wanted to do in this moment was feel him.
Feel his hands on you, feel that he was actually here.
Daryl didn't even care about the eyes on him; he could only think of you. He pulled away to get another look at you, like he needed to check that you were still here.
Saying nothing, he then pressed a desperate kiss to your lips. One that you returned immediately, humming into his mouth. The kiss wasn't hungry, but it was deep nonetheless.
You were convinced that the man you loved was dead. That there was no way of ever seeing him again. This whole time, you spent feeling guilty, feeling like you robbed him of something.
But he came to you.
"Here. Kept them all this time." You spoke in between gasps as you grabbed your necklace, on which sat two rings.
The ring you had secretly packed away. That you would have returned to him once he got sober.
Daryl was breathing heavily, adrenaline and emotion rushing through him as you handed him the wedding band. He slipped it on after several seconds fumbling with it, his shaky hands making it hard to do much of anything.
It was all too much. Daryl buried his head into your shoulder to just hold you.
Rick stared at Daryl in confusion. Daryl had never mentioned any woman in his life. Deanna recalled your interview when you first arrived with your 1-year-old daughter.
You mentioned your husband, a man named Daryl. A soft smile came to her face as she recognized what this was.
A reunion.
"Alright, Y/n is a little busy, so I'll take over for her. All weapons go in here, don't betray our trust, and we won't betray yours." Deanna eyed the pair of you before taking over your job temporarily.
It was like there was a bubble in which the only thing that Daryl could focus on was him and you. Nothing outside of that was important right now.
After everyone had put their weapons away, Deanna approached the two of you. "Listen, I'm going to have to be mean for a second and pull him away to do an interview to make sure he's a good fit. Is that okay?"
Daryl pressed soft kisses into your shoulder, swaying you gently as he just stood there. Allowing himself to feel, to hold you in what felt like a lifetime.
"Daryl-" You tapped him. The sound of his name from your lips almost made his knees collapse from underneath him. He'd dreamt of that sound, longed for it to ever fill his ears again.
"Honey, it'll just be a second." You managed to get him to pull away from you.
You watched while the group walked with Daryl to go to where the interviews were taking place.
Rick pulled Daryl aside. "I'm assumin' you knew her?"
Knew her? What a goddamn understatement.
"My wife." Daryl felt tears well up at the mere mention of you.
Rick's eyes widened. He ran a hand over his face in shock. Daryl hid this for years. Hid his immense grief.
"We'll talk about it after your interview. We will all be right outside. If anything goes wrong, just holler for us." Rick gave Daryl a quick nod before sending him in.
Daryl was barely focused during the interview, staring out the window at you, eager to get back and make up for missed time.
Once it was over, he was practically running to you. "See? Quick." You pressed your forehead to his as his shaky hands found yours.
Daryl asked a question that had been burning in him since he saw you. "My girl?" He prayed with bated breath that she was alive, that nothing had happened to her while he was hundreds of miles away.
"She's alive." You smiled at him as he let out a shaky breath. He let tears fall again, kicking himself for being such a mess.
But he couldn't help it. It was like somebody had sifted through his dreams and made one of them a reality.
"She's here?" Daryl knew that his daughter wouldn't remember him, but just seeing her would make all the difference.
Knowing that you've kept her safe all these years.
You nodded. "Wouldn't go anywhere without her. She's a little badass, you'll see." You laughed to yourself.
Daryl closed his eyes, absolutely melting at the sound of your laugh. Hell, he hadn't heard you laugh since he started going on his benders after his baby girl was born.
Only, his baby wasn't exactly a baby anymore. He missed everything.
Her first steps, her first words.
"She won't remember me," Daryl spoke softly, like this was a dream and he'd wake up to a walker growling above his face at any moment.
"She does. Been showin' her pictures of you and tellin' stories. She asks about you every day." Your words made him fall apart all over again.
"How old is she?" Daryl felt a sadness overcome him when he thought of what he'd missed. What he never got to see his precious baby accomplish.
"She's six. And I know what you're thinkin'." You put a hand on his chest, stopping him in his thoughts.
"You have time. Time to be in her life. I think we need to give this-" You gestured between the two of you. "Some time before you see her again. Tomorrow."
Daryl inhaled sharply. What's one more day when he thought he'd never see her again?
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
The group decided to sleep in the same house for the first night, out of fear of potential safety risks. Daryl felt torn. He wanted to be able to hold you, but he also had his group to look after.
"Stay with me tonight? These are good people." Daryl was holding your hands, his affection such a drastic change from his usual grumpy nature.
"Yeah, I'll get Olivia to babysit for me."
Babysitting. In the damn apocalypse.
Daryl let out a chuckle at the absurdity of it all and reluctantly let go of your hands to let you go talk to whoever Olivia was. In that moment, Rick approached him.
"I understand if you want to stay with her tonight." He placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder.
"Nah, don't wanna disturb her."
Rick laughed softly. "Daryl, she's been through a lot. She looks like a tough woman at that. Not much you could do to disturb her-"
"My daughter."
Rick froze in his spot, his jaw wide open. "Shit." He sighed to himself.
"You've got a wife and a kid?" Rick asked, rubbing a hand over his face. "You never told us, man."
"Wasn't proud-" Daryl cut himself off with a choked sound.
"Proud of what?"
"How I ended things. Made her leave." Daryl didn't have to explain anymore; Rick just nodded in understanding.
"I'm here for you, brother. And I'm glad you found 'em." Rick smiled. It was a little funny, seeing the archer so worked up when he was usually stone cold.
"She's staying here tonight. I-" He ran a hand through his hair. "Need her here."
Rick chuckled. "I get it, man. If you trust her, I do too."
While the sun began to set, Daryl busied himself by helping the group settle into the living room. The minute you walked through the door, Daryl dropped what he was doing with Glenn to go see you.
Glenn laughed and shook his head.
"She's okay with you bein' here?" Daryl asked about his daughter. You snicker at him.
"Are you kidding? Auntie Olivia treats her better than I do." You wrap your arms around his neck.
Daryl nodded and pressed a short kiss to your forehead.
Once everyone was settled for the night, Daryl sat in the kitchen with you. It was a little bit away from everyone else, so you were able to talk in peace.
"I can't believe you're here." You breathed out a shaky laugh, sitting on the floor with him. "Feels like a dream I'm gonna wake up from."
Daryl held your hand, now quieter than he was earlier. More reserved.
Now, you hadn't seen him for 6 years. But you knew your husband and his tells.
"What's wrong? C'mon, I'm your wife, I know when you're acting weird." His stomach flipped at you referring to yourself as 'your wife'.
He could not get you close enough in this moment. Hand-holding would not suffice. "Need you close." He mumbled.
You smiled at him before moving into his lap. It reminded you of home and how you'd sit on his lap when he'd need something to ground him.
You tried to ignore the several pairs of eyes on you from the dark living room.
"Now tell me. Get it out now so we can get some sleep." You felt him melt against your hand when you held his face.
"M'just sorry." He started, his senses burning as tears welled in his eyes.
"Oh, baby." You let out a small pout and let him continue.
"Should'a been a better husband, better father." His heart was pounding out of his chest as tears were now freely flowing.
"I let you down, didn't even come lookin' for ya'." You could tell he was beating himself up for this.
Hard.
"Stop. Nobody would blame you for not comin' hundreds of miles to check if we were alive. I'd have done the same thing." You pushed some of his hair out of his face, admiring the features that had changed since you last saw him.
The hair, for one. And then the scars that were littered across his skin.
"Messed up bad. Ya' gave me a second chance 'n I never took it." He spoke through choked sobs, intentionally quiet.
The group had never seen him so emotional, and yet nobody blamed him.
"Looked for ya' everywhere we went. Promise." Daryl was holding onto you tightly now, his head lying against your chest, longing for closeness.
"I believe you."
God, this guilt was eating him alive.
"Never forgot about ya'. Thought about ya' every night." He was such a weeping mess, absolutely torn to shreds as he bared his guilt to you.
"Still love ya'." He confessed everything he could.
"I love you too. Never stopped." You held Daryl's face in your hands and pulled him in for a soft kiss, one that he melted into.
Daryl pulled away to swipe at the tears streaking his face. "Stop makin' me cry, woman." He spoke softly, partly because the group was trying to sleep.
But the other part of him felt a little embarrassed by how many times he'd broken down crying today.
"Would be weird if ya' didn't cry. Just shows how much you love me, Mr. Dixon." You pressed a kiss to his cheek, his stubble poking your skin.
"Now, we should probably get to sleep. Got a long day tomorrow, save those tears." You teased him, a wide smile on your face, hurting your cheeks slightly.
Daryl just shoved his face into your shoulder in response, utterly spent from such an emotionally exhausting few hours.
"Gotta say though, I'm likin' your new hair. It's kinda sexy." You spoke through yawns, your eyes heavy as they fought off sleep for a few seconds.
Daryl huffed against you and pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder.
The two of you fell asleep in that position. With you straddling his lap, legs wrapped around his torso to be as close to him as possible.
Daryl was like a completely different person.
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
Morning came quickly, and Daryl's breath hitched at the sight of you when he woke up.
Because you were still here.
It wasn't a dream.
The group stirred awake with the sun, discussing plans for the day and whether they like the community.
Your eyes flickered open, locking in on how Daryl stared at you with infatuation, pure love.
"Good morning, Daryl." You stretched out of your position on his lap. "Sleep well?"
For the first time in years, Daryl could actually say yes.
"Do you think she's ready to see me?" Daryl was practically shaking in anticipation. Because today was the day, he'd be able to see his daughter for the first time in almost 6 years.
"Oh, she's ready. I'll have to let her know you're here and let her process that, but once she does, you can meet her." You smiled at the thought of how she'd react.
"Ya' think she'll like me?" He swallowed, feeling a rising shame start to make his stomach churn.
He'd missed so much. He doesn't even know what she likes.
"She will." You knew it was his insecurity talking, but you shut it down anyway.
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
Daryl was sitting on a bench outside your place, listening as you explained to your daughter. He fidgeted with the rips on his jeans, his eyes staring into the cracks in the pavement as he struggled to keep himself calm.
It was torture waiting for you, for her.
From where he was sitting, he was able to hear you clearly as you spoke to her.
"Sweeheart, I know that I've told you all about your dad." You could hardly contain the smile that grew on your face as you held your girl close to you.
"I want you to know that he found us. He's here right now." Hands wrapped around your daughter, you soothed her through her sudden excitement.
"Now, he wants to see you so bad, honey. But remember, the last time he saw you was when you were a teeny little baby. He's a little nervous, but you can help him be brave, right?" You thought back to all the stories you told her about Daryl.
"I wanna see him!" Your daughter was practically bouncing with excitement, a wide smile on her face. Daryl let out a breath of relief he hadn't known he was holding.
She wanted to see him. Wanted to know him.
"Alright, let's go!" You held your daughter's hand as you led her out to where Daryl was sitting, waiting eagerly.
Daryl hastily stood up from the bench and turned around to face the two of you. His heart was pounding, the sound echoing loudly in his ears.
There she was, walking out of the picture-perfect house. Her hair was done up nicely, as if the world outside had no real effect here.
And she looked like you. Your cute little smile, the same bouncy personality.
Daryl breathed out a laugh of disbelief. The odds of reuniting, of finding his family in a place like this.
Maybe there was a god out there listening to his prayers.
He had dreamed of meeting his daughter for years. And still, it looked nothing like this. She bounded over to him, her feet pounding against the pavement as she ran.
And once she was close enough to get a good look at him, she paused. Daryl's heart could have stopped right there as she stared up at him with a sweet smile.
With wide open arms, she wrapped around him tightly, as if she'd known him just as long as he'd known you.
A quick glance from her made him tear up. "Hi, Daddy."
That was more than he could handle. He fell to his knees and swooped her close, his large hands enveloping her as if she'd dissolve like sugar.
Daryl pulled away for a second to get another look at her. He couldn't believe that this was real. His daughter had scrapes on her knees, and her overalls were covered in what looked to be a mixture of dirt and some food mess.
She looked like her mother.
"Are you sad?" His daughter asked, her tiny hands grabbing onto his face, curiously feeling the stubble that marked his skin.
Daryl shook his head. "Just happy I found ya'." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, ignoring the tears that had streamed down his face.
He felt as if he'd cried more in the past day than he had his entire life.
Then, she pulled a picture out of her pocket. "You look different!" She showed him the picture, crinkled and slightly faded.
As if she'd kept it in her pocket all this time.
Daryl let out a laugh. It was a picture of him from high school, his lanky frame sitting on a beat-up motorcycle. And his hair was practically a buzz cut compared to what it was now.
"Yer' right. Got more hair now, don't I?" He held his daughter on his hip as he lifted her off the ground. Daryl let her play with his long hair, warmth wrapping him up entirely.
"Mama said you ride motorcycles!" She brushed the hair out of his face, examining his facial features.
"She's right." Daryl snickered at the way she pulled his hair back, almost like she'd put it in a ponytail.
"Can I ride it? Please?" She begged, her puppy eyes a new experience that he wasn't expecting.
And they worked just as intended. Daryl was a pushover.
"That's up to yer' mama. Maybe later."
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
Alexandria was holding a welcome event to ensure that Rick's group felt that they belonged in the community. It was nothing particularly large, just some food and drinks around a campfire.
The group had barely seen Daryl the whole day. He was following you and his daughter around like a lost dog.
In a way, he really was.
But the two of you had convinced him to show up for the event instead of sitting in your house and learning how you lived. With a fair amount of grumbling, Daryl agreed.
Approaching the group with his daughter on his hip, her hands braiding his hair as much as a 6-year-old could, Daryl ignored the looks of shock and awe.
"Who's this?" Carol spoke with a smile. The child was a spitting image of her mother, but she had Daryl's hair color.
"My girl, thought I'd never see her again." He was so proud, so eager to show his daughter off as his own.
"Daddy, you said I could ride yer' motorcycle. Mama said liars get grounded." His daughter didn't process the laughter that rang out from the rest of the group.
"She's stubborn like her dad." Carol took a sip of some of the wine that had been provided. "Has your dad shown you his bow yet?"
His daughter shook her head. "No, Daddy was crying too much." Daryl rubbed his face, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Carol pretended to gasp loudly. "Was he really?" She shot Daryl a teasing look, snickering at the hidden middle finger he held up to her.
"Yeah! He was crying a lot!" Daryl ignored his daughter's betrayal and kissed her forehead.
"That guy over there named Rick has a daughter, too. She's younger than you, but she's really cool. You wanna go say hi?" Daryl pointed to Rick's daughter, Judith.
"Okay, bye Daddy!" His daughter slid off his lap and ran up to Rick. She tapped his knee and then asked if she could play with Judith.
The two stayed nearby, playing with sticks and flowers on the ground.
Now that his daughter was preoccupied, Daryl turned his attention to you. "You kept her thinkin' about me. Thank you." He was so glad to hear that his daughter knew him and had heard stories about him.
"Didn't want her to feel like you didn't exist. Wanted her to know that you were a good guy."
"I wasn't." Daryl furrowed his brows. "But I've changed." Daryl hoped you could see it, that you weren't just pitying him.
"I know. You're sober, for one. But there's a difference in how much you care. About her and me." Your eyes traveled to your daughter as she played with Judith.
・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・
Daryl carried your daughter home, her eyes barely open as she fought off sleep. "Not tired yet!" She wriggled in his grasp.
"Judith needs her sleep." Daryl walked inside with you, one hand holding yours, and the other holding your daughter close.
"And you do too, missy." You lifted her out of Daryl's arms and instructed her to get ready for bed.
"Thank you for today, Daryl. She absolutely adores you. Told me earlier that she wanted you to live with us." You wrapped Daryl into a tight hug, breathing in his scent.
Cigarettes and wood smoke.
"Would ya' want that? Me living here?" Daryl had hoped you would say yes, but he'd also understand if you needed some space from him.
A small scoff came from your lips. "Are you kidding? She'd kill me if I didn't make you stay with us. I wouldn't mind if you lived here; we'd finally be together again."
Together again. Daryl melted at the thought of that.
"Daddy?" A quiet voice came from his daughter's room. You smiled and gestured for him to go see her.
Daryl was pulled in by her voice, his heart bursting when he saw her. His daughter was in her pajamas, already in bed with her eyes hanging low as she continued to fight sleep.
To talk with him one more time before she slept.
"What do ya' need?" Daryl stood by her bed, a smile stuck on his face.
"Tuck me in?" She asked sweetly, how could he refuse?
Poor Daryl was wrapped around her little finger. He just nodded and grabbed her blanket, fluffing it up and tucking the edges to her comfort.
Just like he had when she was a baby.
"That better?" He asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She nodded and closed her eyes. For a second, it seemed as though sleep had taken her under its wings.
"I love you, Daddy." That little voice. Those four words that made Daryl's heart hurt all over again.
He practically abandoned her when she was born, and yet she loved him?
Daryl pressed his hand to hers. "I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow." He sat in a chair adjacent to where she slept.
His eyes tracked her breathing, unsure of whether he might still be trapped in a very elaborate dream.
"Honey, you've been staring at her for like five minutes." You leaned against the doorway, the sound of your voice startling him a little as he was lost in thought.
"Wanna make sure she's okay. That she's real." He stood from the chair and made his way over to you.
"C'mere." You managed to drag him away from your daughter's room, closing the door gently.
"I know you think that this is gonna fade away when you wake up, but I promise this-" You press a kiss to his cheek. "It's real. We are real."
Daryl's hands found your waist, his large hands caressing your skin the same way he had done since the two of you made it official about 10 years ago.
"Everyone called me crazy, y'know? Said that I should move on." You scoffed, your body swaying lightly against his. "Never did."
Daryl felt his cheeks heat up at your confession. "I didn't tell anyone about you. Regrettin' that now, but I didn't stop thinkin' about ya' for one second."
"I sure hope so." You laughed, your eyes falling to his lips for a moment as they tugged up into a confused smile.
"You what?"
"I sure hope you weren't thinkin' about other women while I was here speakin' so highly of you." You smirked at him.
Daryl hummed in agreement. "Never." Which was completely true, his mind never strayed from the woman he thought he'd never see again. You liked that answer, running a hand through his long hair.
The woman he could never just "get over".
"Jus' thought about you. Only you." Daryl melted into your touch, his breath hitching at the way you lightly tugged at his hair.
"Oh yeah?" Her words sent a shiver down his spine. "What were you thinking about?" Your finger traced circles on his chest, your eyes glancing up at him with a revived energy.
Daryl's mind went blank. He stuttered out anything. Anything to keep your hands on him.
"Your touch. The way you feel." His hands gently squeezed at your waist, feeling the way you rolled your hips into his instinctively.
"Yeah? You wanna feel me?" You grabbed his hands, placing them on your tits, relishing in the way his eyes were glued to you.
Daryl felt blood rush to his face and elsewhere as he gently squeezed your breasts in his hand. "Need this off." He tugged at your shirt, pulling it over your head.
You obliged his desperation, unclasping your bra and letting it fall to the floor. Daryl sucked in a quick inhale, almost as if the wind had been knocked out of him at the sight of you.
"So goddamn pretty." He pressed a kiss to your neck, humming against your soft skin. "Been thinking about you like this." He spoke between needy gasps.
"Dreaming of these-" He leaned down to press sloppy kisses against your breasts, his spit gathering as he sucked on your nipples.
"Daryl-" You pulled his face up to yours. "My bedroom. Don't want to do this here." You were still standing in the living room, gasping and rutting against each other desperately.
Daryl hummed in agreement. He didn't want his first time with you since you left to be hastily performed on a couch.
You led Daryl to your bedroom, and he had slipped his vest off somewhere in between that time, tossing the heavy garment onto the floor.
"Missed ya' so much." He spoke, his words breathy against your skin as he pressed soft kisses to your neck.
"I know, baby-" You gasped as he bit at your skin gently, leaving small, pleasurable bruises. "Missed you too."
Daryl could hardly contain himself, his brain working in overdrive to comprehend what was happening. You were here, and he had the whole night to show you just how much he thought about you on lonely nights.
And he just couldn't get enough.
His hand held the back of your head, pressing a hungry kiss onto your lips, his tongue slipping in like he had kissed you millions of times before.
Like no distance had ever been between you.
The heat between you increased, the feeling unbearable. To relieve it, you tugged at his shirt, slipping it off of his chest. Your hands found his skin, the rough scars outlining the years you had spent apart.
Before it even registered in your head, you were falling backwards onto your bed. Daryl climbed over you in an instant, his large arms landing beside your face, trapping you beneath his frame.
And then, his hands were all over you. Pressing against your skin desperately enough to leave bruises as his soft kisses made their way down your chest. Wordlessly, his hands found the button of your jeans, his rough fingers fumbling with it before releasing it.
"Daryl, please-" You whined against him, pressing your hips up against his, a desperate need for friction coursed through your veins. Acting on that impulse, Daryl pushed your hips down firmly.
"Been waitin' years to see ya' like this. Gonna need some time to look at ya'." He whispered into your ear, the sickly sweet words drawing another pathetic whine from your lips.
He silenced it this time, his mouth moving with yours, swallowing your whimpers as he yanked your jeans down your legs. The sound of the fabric slapping against the floor made you wrap your legs around his waist as he made out with you.
Daryl managed to pull away from your lips, smiling at the whine that left your mouth. "Relax, sweetheart. Not lettin' you go ever again." With that, his eyes found your body, tracing the curves that looked downright sinful against the sheets.
In your blind lust, you hadn't even seen him lower his body just off the bedframe. A hiss left your mouth as Daryl licked a stripe up your clothed cunt, his eyes lighting up at the way you reacted to him.
"Been thinkin' about how pretty this pussy is." He pressed his tongue against the cotton, humming at the taste of your arousal that had been pooling since he started kissing you out in the living room.
"Gonna let me have a taste?" Daryl knew you, knew how much you adored his mouth on you.
"Anything, fuck please!" Your hips instinctively bucked up against his lips as he pressed open-mouthed kisses against your panties.
"Since ya' asked so nicely." He slid the garment down your thighs, his eyes immediately glued to you, and how wet you were for him.
Daryl couldn't hold himself back anymore; he grabbed your hips with a bruising grip. Pulling your body to him, his face was inches from your soaked cunt.
Making up for lost time, Daryl's mouth began working on you, tongue flicking against your clit. He took you in his mouth, sucking at your clit as you became undone above him.
Your moans echoed around the room, your hands shakily moving down to grasp at his hair. His eyes glanced up at you as he dragged his tongue across your folds, humming against your skin. Your sounds were addictive, sending waves of pleasure down to his cock as he fought back the urge to come at the sight of you.
"Keep makin' those sounds f'me." He was practically groaning against you now, his right hand keeping your hips firmly pressed against his face as his left hand palmed his painfully hard erection. "Fuck-" His mouth left your pussy for only a second as he bit back his own premature orgasm.
Then he kept going, his tongue wasting no time in pushing into your entrance. Your whimpers got louder as your hips thrusted against him. His nose pressed against your clit, the feeling making your legs shake as you held them beside Daryl's head.
"Holy shit-" A loud gasp escaped your lips as Daryl slipped a finger in, his mouth sucking at your clit. You couldn't control your movements anymore, your hands tugging at Daryl's hair for some kind of purchase.
Daryl smirked as he felt your legs threatening to close around him, your mind clouded by the absolute pleasure he was providing you with. "Ya' like that, baby?" He thrusted his finger into you, eyes watching for your reaction.
Your eyes rolled back into your head as your hips jerked with his every thrust into your cunt. Daryl couldn't get enough of this, of your delicious reactions.
To think that he ever let you walk out that door.
"Yes! Don't stop, please!" You were begging him to continue, to bring you over that edge that drew closer with every thrust.
Daryl felt it, the way your cunt fluttered around his finger as your moans of his name got higher. He wouldn't dare stop now, a look of pure awe on his messy, soaked face.
Then he remembered something. A move that drove you crazy every time he did it.
Daryl curled his finger, hitting your spot effortlessly as he stroked it. From your reaction, he could tell he did it right. Your back arched against the bed, your whole body shuddering from the immense pleasure.
"Fuck-" Your orgasm hit you suddenly, the pleasure making your vision go white as Daryl rode you through it. He lapped at your cunt needily, taking everything you were giving him as you came around his finger.
"Let me feel it, I got ya'." He mumbled against you as he worked you through your orgasm, his eyes on you the entire time, wishing he could have taken a picture in this moment. To always know how beautiful you looked when he went down on you like this.
Once you were a whining mess, Daryl slowly pulled his finger out. God, he was a mess. His beard was soaked with your wetness, his pupils dilated with adoration for you. His hair was tangled from your frantic hands.
"Need you-" You ignored the ache in your legs as you sat up to unbutton his jeans for him. "Need to feel you inside." You felt the imprint of Daryl's cock against your hand, bulging against his pants needily as you unzipped them.
Daryl helped you by shoving his jeans and underwear off hastily. You took in a sharp inhale of breath. You remembered Daryl was hung, but not like this.
"Bet you jerked off to me through the years, didn't you?" You were genuinely curious about this, and whether you were alone in the fact that you got off to the memory of him almost every night.
Daryl's hips jerked forward as you ran your thumb over his tip, his breath hitching. "When it was safe. Thought about ya'." He left out the part where he'd barely been able to keep you off his mind, and how he wouldn't last very long thinking about your beautiful body.
"Me too. Forgot what you felt like." His cock twitched in your hand, letting you know how worked up he was. How your words made him feel. Daryl was slack-jawed now, eyes glued to your hand and how you slowly pumped him. Small groans left his mouth, his brain struggling to keep up with your words.
"Gonna make you remember-" He mumbled as he pressed soft kisses against your neck. You shuddered at his words; the anticipation was killing you.
"Come show me then." You wrapped your arms around him, bringing him down with you as you lay back onto the soft, plush bed.
Daryl's mouth found yours. His kiss was still just as hungry as before. His breaths were ragged, like he was losing control over his own actions. He brought his cock into his hand and lined the tip up with your pussy. He hummed into your mouth as he slid the tip up and down your juices.
The warmth radiating from your core made him whine against you. "Ya' ready?" He would have stopped there if you needed him to; he would have settled for whatever you gave him. Daryl wanted you.
In any capacity he could have you.
With a nod, Daryl pushed into you slowly, eyeing your reactions as you took him in by inch. You were so tight, your warm cunt fluttering around him as you tried to adjust to his size. Daryl held back the urge to kiss you as your mouth flew open in an 'o' shape in a silent gasp.
He was thick, the stretch of his cock a painful yet thrilling reminder that all you'd ever wanted was here, standing in front of you.
"Doin' good f'me. Almost there." He held his forehead against yours. He listened to your shaky exhales as you tried to relax enough to take him. Once he was buried to the hilt, he pressed a kiss to your head.
"Take all the time you need, got all night." He was lying. He was so close to losing it and cumming inside you. Because he'd thought about this moment for so long. Many nights spent with his hand wrapped around his cock, a feverish layer of sweat covering his body as he jerked off to the thought of you.
You gave yourself a few seconds to adjust to his size before you gave him the okay to move. Daryl almost let out a groan at that, his hips slowly starting to thrust into you.
"God, I forgot how good you felt." You let the words slip from your mouth without thinking, your brain fogged by the sight of him above you.
Daryl let out a quiet groan at your words, his brows furrowed as he focused on you and not the throbbing desperation coursing through him.
He didn't want to rush. Not when he finally had you back in his arms, and you had the rest of your lives together.
His pace sped up. "Can't talk like that, sweetheart."
"Why? Thought about how you'd fill me up so good-" You were cut off by your own moans that echoed around the room as Daryl lifted your legs to throw them onto his shoulders. His cock thrusted into you deeper, hitting a better angle that had your eyes rolling back helplessly.
"M'bout to if you don't stop." His words held no venom, broken by shaky breaths as he fucked you into the sheets. The sound of skin smacking filled your ears as his hips pounded into yours, at a pace that was frustratingly not enough.
"Daryl, please-" You were a mess underneath him, your chest heaving as you moaned breathily. "Need more."
He obliged your command, his thrusts snapping faster into your cunt as he gripped you tighter. You were positive you'd have some bruises tomorrow, but it made this whole situation a lot more real.
"Fuck! Just like that!" Your back was arched off of the bed as his thrusts hit that exact spot that made you scream his name. Daryl groaned above you, his hands tightly wrapped around your legs to keep you on him.
As if he couldn't get deeper, Daryl leaned forward to press a kiss against your lips, pushing your legs further back to accommodate him. His cock pressed deeper into you, your body trembling as his thrusts were relentless.
"Oh my god-" You cried out his name, your hands grasping onto the sheets for something to hold on to while he drilled into you with no abandon.
Daryl made a mental note of what drove you crazy. He hadn't ever tried this position with you, but now it had become his favorite. He let out open-mouthed groans, now focused on hanging on to make you come before him.
"Please-" You felt tears prick at your eyes, the pleasure being almost too much to bear. "Please, baby, I'm so close!" The familiar pressure rose inside you, eyes shut tight as moans flowed out of you uncontrollably.
"I know, sweetheart." He could feel it, the way you fluttered around him, the way you were writhing underneath his grasp. Your cunt squeezed around him, earning a string of curses from his mouth. He was so damn close to bursting.
"Give it to me, please. Wanna feel you." It was his turn to beg now, his voice broken and dry.
As if he had control over you, your second orgasm washed over you in an all-consuming, white-hot wave. "Oh fuck!" Your hips jerked against him, meeting his thrusts as he worked you through your overwhelming climax.
"So good- fuck!" Daryl let out a strained moan as his own orgasm hit him suddenly, his thrusts became sloppy and stuttered as he spilled into you. Short gasps left his lips as his body shuddered against yours.
You both came down from your orgasms, your brains foggy from the immense pleasure still rocking through you. After a minute of cooling down, you gestured that you wanted him to hold you.
Daryl pulled out slowly, both of you cringing at the feeling. "Wasn't too rough?" He looked at the marks he left on your skin. You laugh. "Please. You've been rougher." You remembered that time your friends were concerned about the amount of hickeys on your neck and chest after a romantic night with Daryl.
Daryl grabbed a towel from your bathroom, gently swiping at the mess he'd made on your sensitive skin. Then, he collapsed on the bed next to you, his face buried in the soft blanket.
"Not fair, you don't get to go to sleep without holding me, Mr. Dixon." You whined and lightly slapped his back. He wordlessly reached an arm out to wrap around your waist and dragged you across the bed to his body.
He buried his face into your neck, ignoring the way you stifled a giggle as his stubble ran across your skin. "I love you. So much." The confession made your heart soar every time you heard it.
"I love you too."
