Part two of my new series, thank you to @huffledor-able541 for the name! This chapter gets a lil angsty but I promise it’ll get better. I hope you enjoy, thank you for reading!!
Warnings: Mention of readers past, nothing too bad just slack parents. Angst
After a few days of bedrest, both you and Daryl were ready to rejoin the group. You had only met a few of them so far, Rick, Lori and Carol had been the ones to bring you and Daryl food, they were kind hearted, genuine people and you knew you would get along with them. You had met Andrea within your first moments, you two didn’t get off to the best start. You woke up in the same position you had fallen asleep in, right at the edge of the bed with a pillow in between you and Daryl, separating your bodies. Daryl had put it there a couple of nights ago saying that he ‘liked to lean against something while he slept.’ You knew he put it there to make sure you kept your distance. He did put it there for that reason, only it was because he thought that’s what you wanted.
Hershel walked into the room a few minutes after you had woken up.
“Just checking in. How’s your ankle feeling?” The sweet tone of his voice was a welcome sound in the morning.
“A lot better, I can’t thank you enough for everything that you have provided me with. A bed, food, medicine. I really appreciate it.” You smiled graciously at the man as he grasped your hand and squeezed it quickly before letting it drop back into your lap. He walked over to Daryl’s side of the bed as he began to stir.
“You awake there, son?” You smiled at how kindly Hershel treated Daryl, no matter how abrasive he could possibly be. Daryl sat up and mumbled a noise of affirmation. “I need to check your stitches. Make sure they won’t bleed over the next few days.”
Daryl sat up and allowed the man to check over his side and his head. You noticed every little flinch that occurred when Hershel would touch Daryl’s skin.
“I think you’re both right to go back to your people now.”
You nodded and smiled at Hershel before he left the room.
“You gotta introduce me to everyone now, Dixon. Gotta tell me about them all.” You chuckled slightly but could feel slight tension between the two of you.
“There ain't much to say about em. Just uh, just keep an eye on Shane.” His tone was serious but it didn’t stop you from joking around.
“Can’t keep an eye on Shane if I don’t know who Shane is.” You said winking at Daryl.
Both of you made your way over to the camp, you noticed that Daryl’s steps were slow as he was still recovering. Your ankle was stable but it throbbed with pain occasionally. Hershel had given you a tube of pain killers to help if it got too unbearable. Rick walked over to the two of you. “Great to see you guys up and about!”
Daryl nodded at the man before asking, “How’s the search going?”
“Search?” You questioned, you were curious and listened intently.
“About a week ago we lost a little girl named Sophia, she’s Carol’s daughter. You found Daryl while he was out looking for her one day.” Rick answered.
“Oh my God, that’s terrible. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.” You couldn’t bare the thought of the little girl being all alone.
“We’re planning on heading out today, how’s your ankle feeling?” Rick gave you a quick once over and noticed that you were standing a lot better than when he first met you.
“Not too bad, I’m happy to go out scouting.” It was what you were best at.
Rick nodded before gesturing over his shoulder to the man behind him. “Great, Shane is gonna-”
“Nah, nuh-uh, not him y/n” Daryl interrupted Rick mid sentence as Shane began walking over to the three of you.
“Daryl, it’s fine.” You turned to face the man that you had never met, outstretching your hand to shake his. “I’m y/n.”
He took your hand and smiled. “Shane.”
Before you knew it, you were sitting in the passenger seat of Shane’s car and driving away from a now very angry Daryl. You looked back at him one more time and could practically feel the daggers that he was sending your way with his stare. You looked over at Shane who seemed very serious, his eyes remained trained on the road, only flicking to the map occasionally. You reached into your bag and pulled out your water. You were in the middle of taking a long sip when Shane spoke.
“You been dating Daryl for long?”
You breathed in the water which sent you into a fit of coughs.
“Woah, woah, you okay?” He reached over to pat your back.
You took a few deep breaths. “Yeah, I’m alright. I just…Daryl and I aren’t um, together. We’re not dating.”
“Oh, I just thought. He seems very close to you.”
Your cheeks flushed red as you turned to face the road so Shane wouldn’t see. “We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. Grew up together. When I left for college I didn’t really keep in contact with him even though I promised to.” You turned to look at Shane now. “I should have called him like I said I was going to, I just got caught up in the college lifestyle. I’m a bad person.”
“Not calling someone makes you a bad person? Nah, you were just becoming your own person. You found him anyway though, right.”
You smiled at the man. What did Daryl have against him?
“So uh, this kid. You think we’ll find her here?” You pointed to the map.
“Nah, she’s been missing for over a week and in this day and age, that only means one thing.”
“You never know. I went missing as a kid. Daryl had taught me how to track you see and one day I saw this stray dog, wanted to take it home so I followed it only I didn’t realise how long I’d been following it until the sun was setting and everything around me looked the same. Trees for miles beyond my sight. I was like 10 years old or something, I didn’t think rationally, I just sat in the middle of this forest and cried my eyes out.”
“Someone obviously found you.” Shane’s eyes remained fixed on the road.
“Daryl did. Said he could tell it was me the second he saw the foot prints, followed them all the way to me and brought me home to my parents.” You looked down at your shoes, finding something to focus on while you told the story to Shane.
“His parents just let him go out into the woods like that?”
“He uh, he lost his mom earlier that year. He’s a couple of years older than me so he was about 12 at the time. His dad wouldn’t have even noticed he was missing. Only person who would’ve cared slightly was Merle and he was in juvie again. He yelled at me when he found me. Told me I coulda died or something, he treated me like I was his responsibility. At least I had him taking care of me, my parents didn’t give a shit.”
“I’m sorry you had to experience that.”
You stared at Shane for a second. He really didn’t seem that bad.
“What are you staring at? It’s my hair cut, ain’t it.”
You tried to stifle the laugh that came out of you. “No, no, your haircut is, well, its a hair cut. Actually now that I’m focussing on it, I think you missed a spot.”
Shane rubbed the back of his head and smiled at you.
“I can fix it for you, when we get back if you’d like. Make sure it’s all even.”
“Thanks, much appreciated. Especially if it’ll stop you from staring at my head.”
The day went on, there was no sign of Sophia, not to Shane’s surprise. You both headed back home, swapping stories and laughing. When you got back to the farm you noticed that everyone was sitting around except for Daryl. Your eyes searched and noticed that his tent was the one slightly further away from the others. You and Shane walked over to the group, Shane broke the news that there was still nothing to be found while you walked over to Daryl’s tent.
“Daryl, you in there?” You waited a second, no response. You unzipped the tent slightly to find Daryl lying on his bed, twirling a bolt in his hands.
“To come and see you, tell you about my day. Just like the good old days, right?”
He muttered a quiet noise before shuffling over on his bed slightly. You took it as an invitation to approach him.
You sat on his bed next to him has he started poking holes in the netting of his tent with the bolt in his hands.
“We went and checked a few houses in the town near by, see if there was any sign of the little girl. Couldn’t find anything. Shane thinks she’s dead.” Daryl’s motions suddenly stopped as his focus was now on you. “I don’t think she is, told him about the time you found me in the woods after I was ‘tracking’ that dog.”
Daryl’s body shook slightly as he laughed, remembering how he had to lead you home.
“Ya sat there crying your eyes out and then instead of following me home, ya tried to lead me further in to find that dumb dog.”
“Daryl I always wanted a dog, you know that.” You both laughed.
“Tell ya what, if I find a dog when I go out one day, I’ll bring it home for ya.” You locked eyes with him now and smiled sending shivers down his spine. Your smile did something to him, ignited something within him that drove him insane, it always had. You were soon interrupted by Andrea.
“Hey Daryl I-” Her eyes flicked to you and then back to Daryl. “I didn’t know you had company.”
You stayed sitting on the edge of Daryl’s bed, staring at the woman who was standing at the entrance to his tent.
“I brought you this book, I don’t know if it’s any good.” She handed the book to Daryl as your eyes remained trained on her. She looked at you now and spoke harshly “Daryl, why don’t you tell your guard dog to stand down.” Daryl saw your expression drop and tried to move but you stood up first, Andrea took a step back.
You looked her up and down before looking her dead in the eyes “If I knew how much of a bitch you actually were, I would have hit you harder.” You stepped closer to her. “Please give me another reason to hit you.” She wouldn’t show it but you intimidated her immensely. She rolled her eyes and left the tent.
“Ya look ridiculous when ya act tough.” And by ridiculous he meant ridiculously attractive.
“Act tough? You know I could beat her ass, same way I could beat yours.”
“Yeah maybe while I’m like this but not on a good day.” Your eyes wandered over him quickly, injuries swarmed his body.
“Alright next time you have a ‘good day’ I’ll prove to you that I can beat your ass.” You sat back down on the bed next to him, your hand accidentally brushed his which sent a jolt of electricity through your spine. His cheeks flushed red but his hand didn’t move and neither did yours. You decided to test the waters a little further by actually grabbing his hand in yours. “I thought I was gonna lose you when you got shot.”
“But ya didn’t. I’m right here.” He sent another shiver down your spine as he adjusted himself in the bed, sitting up, ever so slightly closer to you. His hand remained in yours. You noticed his eyes were fixed on your lips which made your head cloud with all types of emotions.
“Y/n, you in there?” Shane’s voice broke your silence and you stood up quickly from the bed detaching yourself from Daryl both physically and mentally. You turned and exited the tent to see what Shane wanted. Daryl was livid, he could hear you talking and giggling just outside his tent. He bit his thumb until he drew blood.
You walked back into the tent with a smile on your face but that smile was not matched by Daryl. “Why don’t ya just say it?” His tone had changed dramatically in the few minutes that you were outside.
“With who?” You looked at him but his eyes wouldn’t meet yours.
“Shane.” You could hear the hatred in his voice.
“You think I’m with Shane?”
“I know ya are and I don’t fucking care. Ya deserve each other.” His southern drawl became so prominent when he was angry, apart from his tone it’s how you could tell he was upset. That and the way he would avert his eyes and gnaw at his bottom lip.
“Are you serious, Daryl? I don’t know what to say.”
“There ain’t anything left to say, so don’t. Don’t bother saying anything ever again. Just leave me be.”
You had no idea where this was coming from but you weren’t dealing with it, you left his tent quickly before tears welled in your eyes. Where were you going to stay? You couldn’t ask Hershel to stay in the house again and Daryl was the only person you really knew in this group. You had nowhere to-
“Hey, y/n, you alright?” You turned to face Shane, wiping the tears from your eyes.
“You wanna stay with me tonight?”
It’s like he could read your thoughts. “That would be great, thank you.”
