Hii! Could you plz write a fic where the reader finds out that Daryl's ticklish and a tickle fight break outs between them?
You obviously don't have to if you don't want to! :))
Boots And All
Drabble: Based on this ask. I strayed a little but hopefully it scratches the itch (no pun intended).
Masterlist
It had taken some time for Daryl to become comfortable around you.
Sure, the two of you had been a thing for some time—sneaking off here and there, swapping shirts for purpled neck bruises.
But those were fleetings moments; there was no real comfort in them. They consisted of rushed encounters, usually when the tension had become so unbearable that the pair of you were at each other’s throats.
Things were different now. Alexandria had given you the space to slow down. And slowness was something Daryl wasn’t accustomed to. He couldn’t get used to the porch-watching, the grass-mowing, and the domesticity of it all.
Especially now, as he found himself at the entryway of the shared house, struggling to find the words to say to you.
‘I’m home’ didn’t sound right; neither did ‘I’m back.’
You hadn’t been waiting for him after all—or had you?
Daryl stood dumbfounded. He'd never had trouble with this stuff before, but this suburbanite hellscape had him guessing his every move. What if you didn’t want him anymore?
He shook his head. Footsteps echoed across the hall, and not wanting to get caught mid-agonising, Daryl tried to busy himself.
"Dixon," you greeted, before a furrow pinched your brow. "Boots."
Daryl’s eyes followed your pointed finger, landing on the trail of mud he'd dragged over the ornate welcome mat.
"Damnit, woman," he cursed. "Been gone all day an' tha's all I get—boots?"
“Boots,” you confirmed, and disappeared back into the living room.
Daryl grumbled before sinking to his knees to undo his laces. Here he was wracking his brain for the perfect greeting and you’d settled on fucking boots.
It could be worse, he thought. At least that meant you wanted him to stay.
The fire crackled low as Daryl trudged into the living room. You were slumped down on the couch, legs tucked under you with one arm draped lazily over the backrest. Your attention was on a book he knew you'd already finished.
Daryl deliberated for a moment dropping into the space nearby. He kicked his legs up onto the stool before him, watching the way your eyes flickered over before returning to your page.
There was a tension in the air—subtle but persistent. He wondered if this was as strange and new to you as it was him. Perhaps you didn’t like him all that much now there were other options. He scowled, and tried to put the thought away from him.
“So…” you began after a moment, setting the book down onto the table. “How was it? Find anything good?”
Your voice was softer now, and Daryl felt himself relax slightly. “Nah,” he muttered. “Same ol’ shit. Few walkers—not much else.”
You shifted, and as you did, your hand brushed against his foot. A jolt sparked through his body; he kicked his leg out instinctively.
“Jesus, Daryl," you yelped. "What was that for?”
Daryl opened his mouth to retort, but as he did, you readjusted once more, grazing the base of his foot with your fingers.
He immediately recoiled. “I swear to sweet shit, do that again an’ there’ll be hell.”
A look of realization flashed across your face—and god, did Daryl hate it.
“Are you…” you paused, the disbelief in your voice too great to conceal, “ticklish?”
Daryl groaned. He suddenly felt five-years-old again, wishing he could keep a straight face.
His lack of reply spurred you into action. “You can’t be,” you announced, goadingly. Daryl felt his muscles grow taut, preparing for the worst. As much as he wanted to escape, part of him missed this—missed that look in your eyes when they weren’t clouded by worry and expectation. “Everywhere?”
“Don’t ya dare,” he warned, though it lacked any real bite.
You grinned before edging closer, until you were sat straddling his lap. Daryl stiffened. His hands hovered above your hips, not quite confident to let them rest there.
“All the times I’ve touched you here,” you murmured, tracing a line up his chest, “or kissed you here”—your breath brushed against his ear, and he shivered despite himself—“did it tickle you?”
Daryl swatted your hand. “Yer fuckin’ ridiculous,” he growled.
You couldn’t help the laugh that spilled from your lips. It chipped away at Daryl's defences, leaving him even more exposed.
"And how about here?"
You tested a light prod at the ribs, to which he bucked beneath you, trying to unseat you.
“Fucking—cut it out,” he snapped.
And again, that smile of yours tugged at something deep within him.
“Alright, alright,” you conceded, raising your hands in surrender. “I’ve had my fun.”
He was about to bite something back, but the words caught in his throat. Your hair was splayed, catching the light of the fire as it framed your face, and on it, your expression was one of pure warmth. For a moment, all Daryl could do was stare. How many days had it been—weeks even—since he’d seen you like this?
You were so beautiful.
“I missed ya,” he admitted. The words came out of their own accord, barely above a whisper. “I wanted to get back to ya.”
His hands found your hips, and his thumb began tracing circles there.
"If you'll have me an' my muddy boots."
Your expression softened, and as you leaned down, Daryl left himself completely open.
You kissed him; it was unlike any of the others you shared before. It wasn't urgent, nor desperate—like the ones brought about by fear of getting caught.
You took your time with him, since there was enough now to spare.
“I missed you too, Dixon,” you murmured against his lips. “And I'll gladly take you, boots and all.”
A/N Sup... It's been about 2-3 years but I want to confirm that I'm alive. To be honest, I still read every comment I get and I can't believe people still love my work. I started this page when I was a wee 19-20 year old student, and now I'm 24, have bought a house, a dog, and am heading a company (crazy, I know).
That said, I wish I could go back to the days I would write and write and write. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time (and I'm a lot slower now due to the mental block I developed from aiming for perfection)... Though, my wish for 2025 is to devote a little time back to my hobby - no matter how small, nor how long it takes me.
To anyone still here, firstly holy shit go touch some grass (just kidding), but truly thanks for sticking with me. If you want to reach out, I'd love to rebuild some bridges and hear your suggestions!
P.S I know it's been a hot minute so if you want to be added / removed from my tag list, please let me know x
Something where someone (your pick from shoresy or LK) ask to meet up by text but you say you have a man in your bed, they're confused af but turns out you rescued a cat?
STOOOOPPP IM OBSESSED WITH THIS LMAO!!! Thank you so much for sending this request in, it's so perfect and I had tons of fun writing it! I decided to do little blurbs with everyone I've written for in both the LK and Shoresy universe so I hope you enjoy <3
Fatal AttraC(A)Tion
Fluff
Shoresy, Wayne, Daryl, Coach x gn!reader
Warnings: cussing, suggestive language
Shoresy:
"I know I'm like, always confused, but I am extra confused right now."
Shoresy had just finished hockey practice when he texted you, asking if he could come to your place to hang out for the rest of the night. He certainly wasn't expecting your response of:
"Please don't come over !! I have a man in my bed rn!!"
"Oh, that's no good, mah boy! You best get yourself o'er there and send the unlucky bastard scramblin' out tha door!"
"You're right, Hitch, you have a point. I'm not letting another man come between me and my partner and I mean that in both entendres."
"Settle down," said Goody, taking a sip of water.
Shoresy was quick to leave the barn and head to your place, nervous to see who he was going to find lying next to you. As he entered the bedroom door, he pushed up his sleeves, getting ready for a fist fight. To his surprise, there was no human man to be seen anywhere. Instead, he was greeted with you and an unfamiliar orange cat lying on his side of the bed.
"Look baby, Shoresy's home! My favorite two men in this whole world," you cooed, the cat purring as it cuddled up to you. Shoresy relaxed, happy you were just messing around with him, and looking forward to cuddling two very cute creatures all night.
Wayne:
You felt bad joking like this to Wayne, knowing he had been cheated on in the past, but you couldn’t help yourself as you sent the text message: “can’t meet rn. me and my other man are in bed.”
When Wayne received said text message, he sped over to your place in a flash, his stoic expression turning the slightest bit more sour than usual. After he slammed his truck door closed, he rolled up his sleeves, readying himself for a brawl. However, when he entered your bedroom, he just stood there very confused.
“Here’s the man I was talking about.” You held up a black cat with white paws. “I just rescued him! Isn’t he cute?”
Wayne stood in silence for a few moments before speaking. “Okay, y/n. Y/n, okay. That is a very cute cat.”
He took several big strides and abducted the cat from you, cuddling it close to his chest.
“You can have him back after I get an apology for making me worry.” He scratched the cat under its chin, making it purr. “And after I get an apology for not adopting two of these.”
Daryl:
“Does this mean what I think it means?”
Daryl was at MoDean’s trying to decipher the text you had just sent him. It was a picture of you lying in bed with a mass of blonde hair on your chest, captioned “don’t come over, my man and I are having alone time.”
“I knows y/n, we all do, and that doesn’t seem like their types of behaviors,” said Squirrely Dan.
Katy then spoke up, “But it is weird. I think you should go check it out. Let us know if you need backup.”
Daryl agreed and drove his van over to your house in a hurry, confused as ever. He walked into your bedroom, fully expecting to see you with another man, but what he actually saw couldn’t have been further from what he assumed.
“I got us a cat!” you exclaimed, holding up the cream colored cat. “Isn’t he just adorable?”
“You really threw me for a loop with that text,” Daryl said, frowning, but perking up when the cat ran over to his leg and started nuzzling him. “He is really cute though. This is the only other man I’d ever want in my bed.”
“Me too, Daryl, don’t worry,” you said, pulling him in for a kiss.
Coach:
“I’m kinda busy rn, me and my man are lying in bed.”
“What the fuck are they talking about?!”
Coach was ready to crush his phone in anger. What did you mean, your man? HE was your man, your only man! He furiously typed back a response, telling you he’d be over at your place in no time, and he spent the whole trip muttering to himself about how he was going to kick that guy’s ass for laying next to his partner. He practically busted your door down, huffing and puffing as he stared you down. You were completely unbothered by Coach’s abrasive entrance, even laughing about it, as you lounged with a cat running in circles on your bed.
“Coach! Glad to see you made it to meet our newest roommate.”
“Don’t scare me like that, y/n, I was seriously pissed off!” He was pointing an accusatory finger at you until the cat pounced on it, clawing lightly at his skin. Coach immediately broke into a smile, cooing and giving the cat scratches on its ears. It looked like your two favorite men got along swimmingly!
Summary: After getting injured on the river, he gets haunted by old memories from his past.
A/N: Thank you @dreamingdixon for beta reading and the one to blame for why this became so long. (Check her out, she has amazing fics)
At the age of seventeen, a young pianist hung out with the lone wolf in the trailer park.
As the older teenagers stared at the sky above, where the stars shine down upon them, he was resting between your legs with his head on your lap. You ran your fingers through his short blond hair and gently scratched his scalp, humming softly to the tune to the song that you would be playing later on in her recital.
“You know, our souls will always be connected under the same moonlight.” You spoke, breaking the peaceful silence from staring up at the sky glancing down at the boy on your lap.
Gazing down at his icy-blue eyes, a portal where his true emotions were hidden underneath that hard shell of his. The quiet male wasn’t exactly looking at the stars, but was admiring how your eyes lit up talking about the future.
“Such a sap.” His words alone caused a bright smile to spread out across your lips. A small smile spread through his lips, seeing your smile, causing him to copy you. He caused that and felt the warmth that went all through his body, it wasn’t an unwelcome feeling but a comfortable one.
When he feels your arms around his stomach as he speeds on his brother’s motorcycle who left it behind for him to use while he was in the military. You tell him to go faster as you enjoy the wind hitting your face. Your laughter reaches to his ears as you both ride on the journey back home.
Jumping off, you move to stand in front of him while he remains seated on the bulky machine.
“Are you sure? You wanna go back home this late. You can always stay like old times.”
“M fine.”
You moved closer to him, as he sensed when you were gonna hug him like usual like every night he takes you back home, however, he immediately was taken aback when he felt your soft lips against his cheek, his heart beating rapidly as if it was gonna burst out of his chest. He must have looked like a deer in the highlights, completely off guard, causing you to let out a soft chuckle.
Daryl usually could tell when you were gonna give him physical affection such as hugs, but a kiss on his cheek was new, not something you usually do to him, nonetheless, his entire body felt like it was on fire. He rubs his palms on his pants trying to calm his heart.
“Goodnight, Daryl. See you on Monday.” You spoke with a shy smile, your finger fidgeting at the bottom of your shirt before running up to the stairs of your house.
He admires the way you look in the moonlight, somehow even more beautiful than usual when you look back towards him, casually waving before stepping through the door.
The memory was as clear as the moonlight, as he looked back, reminiscing. He was too hopeful, too ambitious to have all the time in the world with you, and he never knew what to do with himself when that time was cut short so suddenly.
When he thought he thought he had all the time in the world to man up to his feelings for the girl in front of him, to only have his time with you, abruptly cut short.
When Monday arrives, he wakes with a bad feeling in his gut - as if something awful was gonna happen. It started to make him worry even more when he arrived in front of your home to see the newspaper hadn't even been picked up from the ground, considering your father read the newspaper religiously and often took it to work with him. It was unusual and strange seeing the mailbox hasn’t been cleared out seeing the old mail that was delivered over the weekend.
A clear sign that no one has come by. Perhaps you are coming late, hopefully. It didn’t calm his nerves at all, instead made them worse.
When he arrived at school, people were whispering to each other and trying to be subtle - but nevertheless pointing at him as if he couldn’t see them. He was used to it, but couldn’t help noticing everyone was doing it. It was as if everyone knew something that he didn’t.
It was when he had found out the worst possible way to every one's behavior including the teachers, by being pulled out of school to be taken for integration as a murder suspect. All because of his family reputation, a Dixon being nothing but violent and just trouble. Of course, the police directed their attention to them, most importantly the youngest Dixon who had a close relationship with the victim. Everyone assumed he did it without any evidence.
What happened to innocent until proven guilty.
It was the worst time of his life, and he could be tried as an adult due to literally turning 18 that day.
At the very least, your parents never suspected him to be involved with the murder due to being miles away from the crime scene. They were the ones to get the police off his back trying to pin it on him to make their job easier to close the case. They know he would rather die than let anything bad happen to you from incidents that have happened over the years over the course of your guy's friendship. More often than not, Daryl placed himself in danger while protecting you, such as your honor, or just straight up stepping in when you are clearly uncomfortable.
They knew Daryl from the young age of nine - he was a strong silent type with a temper but was quite protective over you, and you’d swarmed your way past his hard solid barrier.
Don’t let that redneck be near your kid. Everyone assumes the youngest was just like the rest of the family and doesn’t even let the boy have a chance to prove himself. Daryl is different compared to his family and tries not to get into trouble unless he gets pushed to do something about it.
Your family gave him a chance to prove himself which he had over and over again. As years passed by, he became more of a family member than an acquaintance to you. He was often invited to amusement parks, beaches, and things he would have never experienced due to the background he came from.
The worst part of all is your case being left unsolved, becoming cold over the years, letting your killer run free, and getting away with it.
He tried not to think about you that haunted him most of his life after receiving the news. The person who accepted who he was and what he became by accident. The person who stayed up at night with him to read numerous supernatural books from the public library of their school and the community was trying to figure it out. The person who helped him to learn how to control it, because he didn’t want to accidentally hurt you, but only you. He couldn’t care less about others. You were the primary reason why he wanted to control the beast that yearned to be let loose under the full moon.
He completely blames himself - this was so avoidable. All he had to do was say yes to your invitation but he didn’t, he should have been there as your friend, a bodyguard. You invited him to be your plus-one, but you didn’t want to pester him and make him feel obligated to attend your recital, you simply wanted to let him know the option was there even if you really wanted him to come. He didn’t want to go where all the preppy, annoying people would gather - he’s always going to feel lower class in comparison.
The few things he had of you are old photographs throughout your friendship with him. Photo booth strips mostly from the carnivals that came to town once a year or amusement park, he would reluctantly be dragged against his will but did have fun. Some polaroids that were taken by your camera such as him flicking off the camera while you were still smiling. More often than not, his stoic face wasn’t in the photograph. It captures his relaxed face, sometimes a small smile or completely off guard like deer in headlights when he didn’t see the camera with the flash going on.
Photographs capture milestones to favorite moments that he held close. Especially the one, despite telling you to rip it up, he couldn’t admit it. It was a nice photo strip that captured the two of you being childish. You had licked his cheek because he simply refused to do anything about his bitch face - it caught him with his eyes widened in pure surprise. The photo captures it as the following photo below was him squeezing your cheek and holding you hostage as he licked your cheek as payback for the stunt you pulled. The last captures the two of you laughing at how childish you’d acted. It was nice.
The most important from all of his possessions must be the vest that you reconstructed from scratch and had used one of Merle’s hand-me-down leather vests as a base. You had the help of your grandmother who also took a liking to him and often brought him clothes and cooked dinner to be taken to him - the elderly woman loved him to bits and pieces. You stitched on two angel wings on the back.
This vest project took you a long time to do, yet it was completed on time and ready to be gifted to him on his 18th birthday in a cute gift bag with a note inside. It was tragically not delivered by you - instead, it was a grandmother who was heartbroken over your death but wanted him to have the present you worked so hard for him. Days after your death.
He could remember exactly what he was doing that day when he opened the gift on that open field where the two of you would stargaze - or where you would stargaze, and he would smoke, eyes on you as you watched the stars. He cried and screamed his soul out into the empty field, clutching the vest in his hands. He attacked the nearest tree until his knuckles were bloodied and sore, then he sat there on the ground in defeat, refusing to let himself heal - instead, letting himself feel the pain throbbing in his knuckles, watching the crimson liquid pool against broken skin.
He deserved it. He couldn't help you.
The heartache was too much for him to handle, especially all alone. The loss of losing what felt like his other half who had been constantly there as his pillar was gone - just like that. The person who could calm him a lot faster than anyone else. Whenever he needed support, you would be there at the drop of a hat, you just knew.
He could no longer see you play that fancy piano in your home, where your parents welcomed him despite his family reputation. He would no longer feel your warm soft hands on top of his harsh skin teaching him how to play the instrument. He no longer sees you missing your target with his crossbow when he would try to teach you to aim.
He often wished he could go back in time, he should have gone with you at that stupid recital. He would have taken your spot in a heartbeat - he was worthless, no one would hardly miss him. You had a whole future in front of you, only for it to get snatched away from you.
You were his sunshine, as he was your moonlight.
After your passing, he struggled to keep his emotions in his check and not wolf out. He lashed out at your poor grandma who was checking up on him, but she didn’t even flinch at the sight of his icy blue eyes transforming into molten gold - she already knew what he was. She’d always known but trusted Daryl around you regardless. She still treated him like a son despite the fact. He broke down in the elder arms that day, he didn’t have to carry his dark secret all alone with no one to turn to anymore.
He simply didn’t have anyone that he trusted in his life to share this horrendous secret of his without trying to kill him. He could be confined to the old lady that everyone thought had lost her mind because she told stories of monsters in the dark. It kinda makes sense if he thought back to when he was just a child hearing her rambling old stories, they seem to be more personal experiences with the supernatural than fairy tales. Of course, no one would believe it unless they are experiencing it themselves.
There was a night when Merle found out his horrendous secret by pure accident by provoking him non-stop and his patience was running thin. He was grieving like a normal person mopping in his room when Merle abruptly gets into his room and took an old small metal container from beneath his bed causing Daryl to jump out of bed to be taken completely off guard and immediately chase after him.
Merle knew he was staring at those pictures every night ever since he had come back from the Military to visit his brother. His brother didn't want to do anything, just wanted to stay in his room and stay in bed. The small container was next to him when he was sleeping.
Merle stood in front of the stove where the flames were showing brightly threatening to burn his memories in the form of photographs within the container. Perhaps it will help you move on.
In a split second, Daryl attacks his older brother by pushing him away from the stove with brutal force - as the small container slams to the ground, slipping out all the photographs onto the dirty floor of the trailer. Daryl stood above him with a deathly glare, not with his normal eyes but the golden yellow eyes staring into Merle’s soul as an animalistic growl escapes from his throat as a threat unconsciously.
When Daryl realized what he had done, he immediately stood back away from his brother, giving him space and looking down at the floor. He expected his brother to run away from seeing the true self-the monster he had become, especially seeing his eyes change and staring him down with his heavy breathing like a wild animal as if one wrong move. He would have bounced on Merle without any mercy, ripping him into shreds out of anger.
Daryl quietly picked up the little trinkets that you had to give him over the years along with the photographs back into a container. He was taken aback seeing Merle was where he had attacked him on the ground staying quiet just seeming to be taking in what had happened. He didn’t run out to the hills.
He was about to go back into his room with his head down, clutching the metal case with a deathly grip but not strong enough to destroy it. Merle spoke the only words he said that night. You loved her, didn’t you, little brother?. Daryl just spares him a glance before returning back to his room. The silence was enough to answer his question, he loved her more than anything else.
For the first time and last time, Merle actually let Daryl grieve without degrading comments because now he knew how much that girl meant to him.
So why are you there, decades later?
Was he hallucinating?
You are supposed to be dead, but you look exactly how he imagined you would look if your life wasn’t taken away so early as a grown woman.
You pulled the bolt off his side and felt the warmth against his cheek. It felt too real. You were mouthing something to him, but he kept losing his consciousness.
Why aren’t you six feet under?
Why are you there, hovering over him? He could feel your warm palm cupping his cold, dirty cheek as he stared at your worried expression. Finally, he was able to hear your voice, something he’d missed for so many years, it felt like music to his ears.
“You aren’t dying on my watch. Let yourself heal internally at least, please.” You whispered, placing his forehead against yours as he lost consciousness completely. “If you don't do it for yourself, do it for me. Please, Daryl.”
When he woke up again, you were nowhere in sight. Two walkers were chewing on his shoes.
He must be hallucinating.
He must be losing his goddamn mind.
______________________________________
Daryl had dragged himself back to camp after finding Sophia’s doll at the river. He did feel lighter as if someone was helping him to walk. The hair at the nape of his neck was standing straight as goosebumps raised from his skin all over his body causing him to be on edge. His instincts were screaming at him if they were trying to give a warning of danger - stay alert but he didn’t see anything other than his body reacting on edge - yet there was a faint lingering in the air that he hadn't smelled so long ago.
After being shot by Andrea, he heard from the others that Andrea fell off of Dale’s trailer with a bloody scream after finding out it was a human being she shot, not a walker. Perhaps in the panic, she wasn’t watching where she was looking, but Andrea was kinda spooked about it.
When he was brought to this guest room where he was resting, his eye caught sight of a photo frame that contained a photograph of you when you were fourteen, bottle-feeding a calf with the biggest grin on your face. He had taken it from the nightstand to look at it closer after everyone else had left, and he wasn’t mistaken. It was truly you.
The realization is now hitting him.
Why was the surname familiar, was it because it was your last name?
Maggie, the oldest Greene of the family comes in with a tray of food and beverage knocking on the door, barely having time to cover himself with the blanket not wanting anyone else to see the scars on his back. When she reached the side of the bed, she noticed Daryl holding the photo frame of her older cousin.
“Did you know her?” Maggie asked, to only get silence in return. Daryl puts the photo frame back on the nightstand. Maggie already knows he doesn’t talk much from what she heard from Glenn - he’s a man of few words.
Realization hits her when she takes a moment to really look at him, especially the shade of piercing blue eyes and the mole above his lip. She places the tray on the nightstand before speaking.
“You did know her. You were her moon.” Maggie says in a sorrowful tone catching him completely off guard. She was correct to assume seeing the way he reacts to her words - this was the boy that her older cousin spoke fondly of with the biggest grin when she was younger. When she was younger, she always wanted to know who was the mysterious boy who had earned your affection and admiration.
Maggie starts to explain how she knows, “She was my cousin, (Nickname). She often spoke fondly about you, often would sneak out to look at the moon at night when she was staying over during the summer. She always said the moon always reminded her of you.”
Before adding, “The main reason why Daddy was mostly mad, not the fact that you took one of our horses without our permission, but took the one that used to belong to (Nickname).”
That kinda explains the undertone of Hershel's anger, it was your horse when you were alive. He clearly remembers how excited you would talk about the horse, Nally because you wouldn’t ever shut up about it. There were times, you would often invite him to come, so he could meet the horse but he always declined to go visit your extended family members, he was more comfortable with your parents and your grandmother because he has known them for years.
___________________________________________
Same as the day before, he spent the morning resting on his right-hand side reliving memories of his first love. He never fell in love again, he could never have fallen for anyone as hard as he had for you, he never managed to move on from you - he just couldn’t.
When there was a knock on the door, he quickly wiped the evidence from his face before the door opened. The way Maggie had spoken about you made his chest ache, especially when she told you about how you’d refer to him as your moon, after seeing you in the woods after injuring himself. It opened up old wounds in his heart hearing someone speak about you out loud, it triggered all the old memories he thought he’d suppressed to the back of his mind - bringing them flooding back to the surface.
The missing child - Sophia - appears before him, leaving him completely speechless and in disbelief. “Losing my shit” he scoffs to himself.
First, he hallucinated you, now the missing girl he was looking for.
He is going fucking crazy. He must be.
The young girl was in a completely healthy state despite being lost in the deep of the woods for days. Sophia was carrying a plate of food and a glass of water followed by Carol a few seconds later.
“Thank you for looking for me.” The timid girl voices her thanks to the older man after being instructed by her mother.
Daryl was in disbelief but was content knowing that Sophia found her way to their camp.
“She came back with that horse that threw you off. She was riding it like she had experience leading a horse.” Carol tells him with a small smile and petting Sophia's hair.
However, the young child winces. “Mom, It wasn’t me who was leading the horse. It was the forest fairy. She was riding it with me.”
Carol sighs. “You were by yourself, Sophia. No woman was riding the horse with you.”
“But the fairy knows Daryl. He was the reason why the fairy could take me back to you, Mom.”
Daryl wanted to laugh at the foolish fairytale but didn’t want to hurt the child's feelings who was so stubborn about this so-called fairy until Sophia took the photo frame from the nightstand that he was staring at the night before and pointed to the girl in the picture.
“She told me stories where the two of you used to hang out under the stars every day. But she was sad when she found you hurt and helped her back here. She brought me back, after knowing how to get here. She just ran back to the forest. No one saw her with me on the horse.” Sophia puts it back down when she sees the look of hauntedness on his face.
For a man who barely showed any emotion, he was overwhelmed with the information.
Sophia was being dragged out by her mother before she left. “She was there waiting for you in the woods after the incident. She protected you from bad people. You may have not seen her but she was there.”
“Enough, Sophia! Sorry, Daryl.” Carol was scolding Sophia when they both left through the door.
Daryl was conflicted but now it was making sense. There were moments when he could feel her there and just thought he was hallucinating when It felt like you were standing right beside him. But maybe he wasn’t, the information from the little girl left his head spinning in a way he wasn’t familiar with.
There was an important event from what Sophia was saying. He could never make sense of it until now - but when his father was chasing him through the woods after picking him off from the police station for being interrogated. His father hated police attention on them, he had full intentions of beating his ass black and blue.
The forest trees were smacking his father to the ground with full force as someone was holding the branch back before letting it go. His father was getting smacked by the same stick that he used to use on him cutting into his skin. His father was being covered with copies of his scars that were inflicted over the years took a picture of all his scars- then inflicted them on his abuser. Daryl was too busy running away, but apparently, something dragged him out of the woods which spooked the living shit out of his father. That’s what Merle said when his father was rambling while drunk.
But if he thought back on all the times he ran into the woods to run from someone, they get hella spooked from the woods that they wouldn’t even take a step into the woods ever since. All of them had the same conclusion. The forest was protecting him while attacking anything that was considered to be a threat to him.
Were you there when he was grieving on the same spot where two of you often met up under the branches of a tree that had the two of your names carved into it - you way of claiming a spot of the earth just for both of you.
Were you the reason why he felt lighter dragging his ass to the farm after getting injured?
Were you helping him not to put weight on his injured side, preventing further damage?
Whenever he was there it was as if there was a blanket of comfort, the same kind of feeling of you hugging him whenever he seems to need a hug, wrapping around his whole being. He always felt someone was staring at him but there was no one in sight.
Perhaps it was you, this entire time.
__________________________________
Thank you for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts and feeling down below on this post.
SENTENCE PROMPTS: Pick a number and a specific setting and I’ll write something out for you!
1. “Are you kidding me, we’re not fine!”
2. “All I wanted was your honesty.”
3. “I’ve never felt this way before... and it scares the shit out of me.”
4. “Wait a second.. are you jealous?”
5. “I love you, you asshole!”
6. “Go then, leave. See if I care!”
7. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
8. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t stay away from you.”
9. “I’m not going to apologize for loving you.”
10. “It wasn’t my age that ruined us, it was you.”
11. “I made a mistake. I need you.”
12. “I’m not gonna stop caring about you no matter how hard you try to push me away.”
13. “I feel like I’m missing something whenever you leave.”
Here is what’s left of our prompts! If these are all gone and this is something you guys would like more often, let me know and I can set up new ones!
The words had been trying to escape your lips for weeks now. Fluttering and beating against your teeth like a moth trapped in gentle caged fingers.
Daryl, I-
“Y/N.” You jumped, snapped out of your reverie by Daryl’s soft voice. His footsteps were so silent that you know you should have grown used to the surprise.
“Hey…Find anythin’?”
He shook his head, looking down at you. The pair of you had been methodically searching a small group of houses for hours.
It was slow work, and hard on the nerves. Every sound outside the room could be a walker, a horde, or worse still, other living humans.
The sun had begun to sink in the sky, casting a soft golden light through the white lace curtains that fringed the windows of the kitchen you had just finished searching.
For just a moment you let out a breath that you always seemed to be holding, let your muscles relax as you looked up and met Daryl’s gaze.
Daryl, I….
His blue eyes were soft as he looked down at you, as the golden sun caressed his tanned, dirt-flecked, and battle-worn face.
At that moment, you felt calm. Perhaps for the first time since the beginning. Standing in the middle of a kitchen that had once held warmth and love, with the one person who made you feel safe and always protected… Was this what home felt like? You couldn’t remember.
You had long since stopped fantasizing about the world before the turn, but at that moment, as Daryl wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you gently into him, caressed your cheek with his callused fingertips…as your lips met…. you couldn’t stop the image from blossoming in your mind’s eye… The kitchen, the house, not broken or ransacked, but safe, and warm, and full of laughter and light…Not being covered in blood and dirt as you stood there. Not being weak with hunger. Not being scared every second, even as you slept.
Just a normal day in a normal life. A kiss that didn’t have the threat of being your last.
…Home…
You kept your eyes closed as he pulled back, trying to hold onto the vision… It wasn’t until Daryl pressed his forehead against yours that you opened your eyes, then smiled. He had his eyes closed too and a look of something that could be peace on his face.
“Daryl…” Your voice was little more than a sigh, but he opened his eyes nonetheless, straightening up with a little, smile playing around his mouth.
“What were you thinkin’ ‘bout?” It took Daryl a moment to respond. Finally he cleared his throat, looking around. “All'a this….”
You nodded. It had taken a while to learn to accept that though he had them, Daryl did not like expressing his thoughts or feelings. You learned then how to translate his few words and actions.
The spell was broken then by a sound in the back garden. You and Daryl immediately let go of each other; Daryl grabbing his crossbow and pushing you behind him as you grabbed your weapon. You moved cautiously to the side door that led outside, not making a sound. But there was sound. Unheard as we stood in the kitchen, the shuffling dead came through the streets. It was so sudden, as you turned the corner. The sound of groans rose as they saw you.
You very nearly froze in fear, until the crack of Daryl’s arrow hitting home snapped you into fight mode. Just as soon as you had rounded the corner, you backed up, running backwards as you fired, reloaded, fired again. It was almost useless. There were too many. Too few arrows.
And more.
More came from the streets you had not yet traversed. Only one or two, but as they joined the herd, it grew. You ran as they came. You were both out of arrows and running out of bullets fast. Saving them just in case you were cornered. Just in case there was no escape…
“Through here!” Daryl grabbed your hand as you ran, pulling you from the overrun street and through a house, knocking over furniture as you tried to escape the dead.
You would always remember this moment with the most vivid of details. Tripping, falling over a tangle of blankets on the floor. They were those soft blankets you curled up in as a kid on a cold night. There was a doll within them. Daryl’s hand slipped from yours, but a moment later grabbed my wrist as he hauled you up. Another moment before you screamed. “Daryl! Left!” He just barely managed to unsheathe his knife and drive it into the skull of the walker before it reached you.
He pushed you then. “Get to the bikes!”
“D-”
“Now, Y/N!”
His face was panicked, lips parted, panting, body shaking as he turned to plunge the knife into the eye of the next walker. Your pulse was in your ears as you both took off again. You weren’t going to leave him, no matter what he commanded you to do.
Through the rooms of the house, out through the back and the little alley between two houses– You didn’t have time to scream this time - just to jump back, then kick out at the first walker that stumbled through the alley to your right. Daryl stabbed through its skull, giving you enough time to grab your knife.
The next few moments were a blur. Rotting flesh. Blood. Roars and moans and shuffling steps. And he wasn’t there anymore. You tried to call to him over the sound of the walkers, heard his call back, but it echoed between buildings. You were being forced deeper into the town. Into a maze of brick and vinyl walls, broken windows, and more of the dead.
“Daryl!”
You could do nothing but run. Get back to the bikes. That was always the plan if you got separated.
You ran east, knowing that the town would thin out again. You could lose the walkers, circle around and get to where you stashed the bikes in the woods.
Daryl would do the same. He’s survived worse.
Panting, shaking from exertion and fear, you finally reached the meeting spot.
You swallowed hard, eyes searching the forest around me, trying to quiet your breath, slow your pounding heart, trying to see… But no familiar face appeared between the trees. No voice called your name.
For 15 minutes you waited. Muscles tight. 'I should go look for him…’ You were told countless times to stay. He would come. If you left, it would take longer to find each other. He would worry. Another minute. And another. Stay. With. The. Bikes.
Your impulsion was about to win out when you heard it. Footsteps.
You let out a breath, searching the forest. Gaze moving over the trees. Looking for him.
The crack of a branch made you turn.
His footsteps were always so soft. Steady. The silence of a hunter. But you heard them now as he appeared between the branches.
He said he would come, no matter what.
He always kept his word.
“Daryl…..”
Always
“No…”
Your vision blurred. Darkness threatened to engulf you. No sound came from him, save from the slight drag of his feet over the leaf-strewn ground. Blood, shockingly dark blood spilled from the deep open wound in his shoulder, from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were dull. The beautiful blue replaced with a cloudy gray.
You couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. In times of panic, your mind can come up with a great number of things, from foolish thoughts to childhood memories. The vision from the kitchen filled your mind as you gazed at the man you spent your days with, who you had planned on spending the rest of your days with…
He didn’t run at you like the other walkers, didn’t snarl, didn’t reach for you, so you didn’t move. This was the last chance.
You were so scared before. Too scared. But you weren’t scared anymore.
Three feet away, he stopped, wavering, watching you.
“I should have told you in that stupid kitchen…I should have told you weeks ago….” You gripped the handle of your knife tighter, looking over his features.
“Daryl…I love you.”
That was the moment. He reached out, trying to grab you, snarling, hungry… And the next moment he was gone. Nothing.
You wouldn’t move from that spot for hours. Wouldn’t lift your head from his chest, even as he grew cold with the evening air.
You had wondered what was worth fighting for when this began. For a moment, a brief moment, there was golden light.
Daryl and the reader have some confessions to make.
Daryl x gn!reader (request from @scoutandtank , I really hope you like it!!)
Warnings: none
It was another hot summer day in Letterkenny and you were busy chorin’ as usual. You couldn’t wait to finish your work and reward yourself with an ice cold Puppers. As you finished cleaning out the chicken coop, you heard a car pull up into your farm’s driveway. You recognized the dilapidated van right away, your heart fluttering in your chest. As the van sputtered to a stop, you sauntered over.
“What’s a fine man like you doing out in a place like this?”
Daryl leaned with his arm rested on the now opened van door, a blush resting on his face (he convinced himself, though, that it was so hot outside that his skin was just naturally warming up).
“Y/n! I was just coming over to see if you wanted to go to MoDeans with me. And the boys. And Katy too, of course.”
You studied him closely. He seemed nervous to talk to you today. At least he was actually talking to you this time. Lately, Daryl had this weird habit of bouncing between nervousness, flirtation, and downright ignoring you when you were near each other. You couldn’t deny the hurt you felt when he chose not to talk to you because not only is he one of your closest friends, but you were really sweet on him. You tried asking Wayne, you interrogated Squirrely Dan, but none of the boys could explain his behavior and you were determined to find out why—one of these days.
Putting your hands in the back pockets of your shorts, you pretended to think over your decision.
“Hmm… I guess I could go for a Puppers… or I could stay home by myself with absolutely nothing to do… much to think about, Dary.” Shooting him a smile that he graciously returned, you ran over into the passenger seat of the van. As Daryl made his way into town, you reached over to turn on the air conditioner.
“Oh that doesn’t work. She’s an old van, but she gets the job done without all the fuss of modern technology.”
You felt like you were dying, you were so sweaty. You could only imagine how much of a mess you looked, and in front of Daryl no less. You were a bit embarrassed but too hot to care. You rolled the window down in hopes of catching a slight wind, which worked, to your surprise. Daryl, on the other hand, couldn’t help but notice the very attractive person sitting next to him, making him feel extremely shy. He was self conscious about his van, his looks, his life, and now this absolute gem of a human was in his car, sweat glistening on their face, making them look radiant, the radio playing a love song—it was all too much for him. He reluctantly tore his eyes from your body to keep steering the car on the road while you didn’t notice the war going on in your driver’s head and heart. As you pulled into the bar parking lot, you noticed Daryl got quiet and basically ran out of the car and into the establishment. Like before, you were confused, but maybe you were reading into things too much. You had no idea if Daryl returned your affections and it certainly didn’t seem that way right now. At the very least, you guys have been good friends for many years so you didn’t understand his sudden change in behavior. Sighing, you opened the van door. You really needed that drink now.
Inside, Gail bid you hello, followed by many innuendoes and dirty jokes, but none of it could lift your spirits at the moment. You spotted Daryl with the rest of the Hicks so you sat on an open stool next to Wayne.
“How goes it, Wayne?”
“Y/n, how are ya now?”
You studied the beer bottle gracing your hands and sighed.
“Truthfully, I could be better. Daryl’s been acting weird around me again. One moment we’re chatting it up, then he switches up and shuts down. Has he told you anything? Did I do something?”
Yeah you did something, thought Wayne, you stole Daryl’s heart and he’s completely head over heels in love with you! He talks about you all day long and he’s so ridiculously sweet on you that I’m getting a new cavity at the sound of your name.
“He hasn’t told me anything,” replied Wayne, taking another sip from his bottle, “but you might wanna ask Katy. She’s always, as you kids say, in the know.”
You nodded to him, bidding him adieu for now, and sought out Katy, who was at a table with the hockey boys.
“Y/n! How are you now?”
“I’m good Katy. How about yourself?”
“I’m great. Just enjoying the view,” she said while nodding her head in the general direction of the boys, earning a “right on!” and high fives between Jonesy and Reilly.
You gave them a quick smile and turned your attention back to brunette.
“I actually just had a quick question about Daryl. Do you mind if I take a seat?”
“You two. Scram!” The boys were immediately on their feet and scrambling to another table in the bar.
“What can I help you with?” she asked, smiling sweetly.
“To be honest, I’m not sure. I asked Wayne why Daryl is always so wishy washy around me, you know, cracking jokes one minute and the next totally quiet. It’s like, he knows it’s me that he’s talking to, and then he really looks at me and just… goes quiet. Wayne told me he didn’t know and to come ask you. So here I am.”
Katy started laughing.
“Oh my god. You’re serious? You don’t know?”
Okay, now you were finally getting somewhere.
“No, Katy, I have no idea. Please, you have to tell me.”
She took a deep breath after laughing so hard.
“This is seriously adorable. Y/n, he’s sweet on you. Like, insanely so. He gets all weird because you two are great friends and he doesn’t want his true feelings to show and freak you out. I’d give you more details but I think lover boy would rather tell you himself.” She tipped her bottle in the direction behind you and you turned to be face to face with Daryl himself, beet red.
“Can we, uh, can we go talk somewhere? Um, private? If that’s okay,” Daryl asked, keeping a close eye only on his shoes.
“Of course, Dary.”
When Daryl saw you walking over to talk to Katy after talking to Wayne, he knew he was in trouble.
“Wayne! You didn’t tell y/n about my feelings for them, right?”
“Of course not, Daryl. That’s business between a man and his lover. It’s not my job to kiss and tell or tell someone you wanna kiss ‘em.”
“Okay, but they’re going to Katy! Katy will definitely say something.”
Wayne sighed, took a quick swig of beer, and sighed again.
“Dary. You gotta take a chance in love sometimes. When you find someone as good as y/n, you don’t wanna lose them before you even get them. You know what I mean?”
He nodded and stood up, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.
“Alright. Thanks good buddy. Wish me luck.”
Now you found yourself back in the sweltering sun, staring at the man you loved, waiting for him to say something.
“Dary, it’s okay, it’s just me. You don’t have to worry about whatever it is you’re gonna say.”
“But that’s the thing!” he said suddenly, “you’re not just you, not to me. You are so wonderful, so kind, ridiculously attractive, hardworking and it’s hard to think that someone like you would ever return the feelings I have for you. I love you so much, beyond words, but I know that it’s selfish of me. You deserve so much more than broken down van, dirty coverall wearing, plain Daryl.”
He wouldn’t meet your gaze. Tenderly, you lifted his chin up with a soft touch. His eyes were getting watery and it broke your heart to hear that he thought of himself that way.
“Oh Dary.” You grabbed him into a tight hug, savoring the feeling of his hands resting on your back. When you two pulled apart, you kept a firm grip on his shoulders.
“Daryl. You are so much more than your clothes or your car and you are certainly not plain. You are the nicest man I have ever met. You are a person I can rely on at any given time. You’re funny, and so crazy handsome. I love you because you’re you. I wouldn’t take you any other way.”
All of sudden Daryl started giggling.
“Really y/n, you mean that? Like, really, really?”
You shook your head yes.
He exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Oh I was so nervous! I’m sorry I acted weird around you before. We would always have such a good time together but then I would really look at you, especially while you were laughing because your smile is outrageously cute, and I would think, man, whoever gets to see that smile every day is the luckiest man in this entire galaxy. And I would never think that man to be me but hopefully now it can be.”
“I would love nothing more than that. Actually, I would love one thing a little more,” you said, smiling coyly.
Daryl gave you a quizzical look, “Do continue.”
“I would love if you would finally kiss me after all these years.”
Here’s a request from @booppooo for some domestic Daryl! They suggested either a one shot or some headcannons soooo I decided on some headcannons with lil blurbs since those are always fun :) so sorry for the long delay but I hope you all enjoy anyway!!
Daryl x gn reader (they’re married<3)
Warnings: none
1. Daryl, always wearing his barn clothes, gets dirt EVERYWHERE around your house but if you finally mention how much it bothers you, he’ll start taking off his dirty shoes before coming in for a short break and leave his dirty coveralls at the door after a long day at work.
You loved Daryl, you really, really did, but you swore if you stepped in another clod of dirt in your house you were going to shove it right up his—
“Ah! Y/n, there you are, cutie,” Daryl had said, his arms finding their way around your figure as you stood in the kitchen, making lunch.
“Dary, we need to talk,” you said, a stern tone in your voice.
He immediately straightened up, his blue eyes full of concern. “What’s wrong, honey?”
You sighed. “I love you so much but the dirt you bring in from the outside is driving me crazy! I don’t know if you just don’t notice it or don’t care, but I do and I’m frankly tired of cleaning it up.”
The blond left your sight in an instant. You were confused as to where he went until he appeared once more, broom and dust pan in hand.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would’ve cleaned up after myself.” He dumped the contents in the trash and you were delighted at how clean the floor looked. “Sorry I didn’t notice sooner. I’ll be better next time.”
You threw your arms around him and kissed him deeply, throwing him off balance.
“Woah,” he muttered, ears tinged pink, “if I knew cleaning floors is what it took to get you to kiss me like that, there won’t be a speck of dirt left on this property.”
2. When his hair gets to be too shaggy, you cut it for him!
“I don’t know if I totally trust you with scissors that sharp head my head,” Daryl had said the first time you suggested cutting his hair for him, him now eyeing the pointed pair that you held in one hand. The other hand was too busy grabbing at his locks, trying to find the best place to start your work.
“It’s fine, honey. Just let me do my thing. I gotta concentrate now.”
You went quiet, separating the curls before making your first cut. It was a mild day on the porch where you towered over Daryl as he sat on the steps, but he was sweating like it was the middle of summer.
“Are you sure I shouldn’t-”
“I said I got it!” you replied, exasperated. All of a sudden, a truck came down the road, honking at you right as you made the first snip. You jumped out of instinct as you heard the scissors cut. You were afraid to look at the damage you had caused poor Daryl’s head. You had cut the lock of hair much too short with no way to disguise it. Your husband sensed your dread as he reached around to pat your leg.
“It’s alright. Just cut the whole thing that length and I’ll let you try again when it grows out.”
He was true to his word and you got a lot better at not messing up. You did both decide to cut his hair inside from now on, just to be on the safe side!
3. If you decide to have kids, he'd definitely be the parent to have them hanging off of him at all times!
"Dary," you called out from downstairs, "are the kids ready for school?"
You heard commotion down the stairs but no yelling so you weren't all that concerned--until Daryl came into the room, cackling children attached to every limb he had.
"I don't know if we have kids anymore. I think these are more like leeches," he said, frazzled. You couldn't contain your laughter at how hopeless he looked, your kids having the time of their lives.
"You're like their own personal school bus." You smirked as you turned your attention to your kids. "You guys want Daddy to walk you to school like this today?"
Screams of excitement drowned out your uncontrollable laughter and Daryl's pleas of not egging them on.
3.5. If you don't want kids, he'd be the pet parent that the pets gravitate toward, no matter how much more love you give them!
"Oh, come here my cute lil baby!" you cooed to your dog. She wagged her tail excitedly and started running toward you. You stood, waiting with open arms and big smile, only to be completely ignored by your (supposed) best friend as she ran past you. You frowned, wondering what could've gotten her attention from you.
"Hi baby! What are you up to, huh?"
Daryl.
You didn't think you had the strength to bear witness of the betrayal behind you, but you tortured yourself anyway. He was on the ground, your dog smothering the man in kisses. You wanted to be mad but the scene was just too adorable. You left to find solace in your cat, but he, too, left you for the blonde man.
"Does no one around here like me anymore?" you grumbled, just wanting a shred of affection from your family. Daryl stopped his love fest with the animals to sit by your side.
"I guess you'll have to settle for cuddling me instead of our pets," he said, resting his head in your lap. You hummed absentmindedly, your hand resting in his blonde hair.
"You're great and all, but the dog's hair is much softer."
He wasn't amused by your teasing.
4. You go line dancing for date nights!
After the almost disaster at the Talent Show, Daryl wasn't up for line dancing for a bit but you eventually got him to try it again, for fun. When you two took up your places on the dance floor, you could tell he was uncertain but you gave his hand a small squeeze to show him your faith in him. That night, he absolutely tore up the dance floor and was thankful you pushed him to conquer his fright! You two were the talk of Letterkenny after that, your moves being the topic of discussion for weeks.
5. I have no clue why but I have a feeling he'd be so insanely good at giving massages??? (If there's anything in cannon lmk but I'm sticking with this for now)
You came home after a particularly grueling day at work. Your whole body hurt and you couldn't be bothered to do anything else but flop in a chair and rest--so you did just that, dropping your belongings at the door and finding a comfy spot in the family room. When Daryl came home an hour later to a dark house, he was concerned. Your car was in the driveway, meaning you were home, but usually you turned on the lights. He opened the front door and flicked on the entry way light, spotting your shoes and jacket astray.
"Y/N? You here, sweetheart?" he called out softly. He heard a groan from the other room, hurrying in to see what was wrong.
"Hey, Dary. Long day at work. 'M exhausted," you said, and he couldn't deny that you looked and sounded worn to the bone. He quickly got dinner in the oven and made his way to you after that, telling you to lay in a comfortable position.
"I'm gonna give you a massage," he explained, and you couldn't have heard any better words in your life. Daryl's nimble fingers began to dig into your flesh and you were in absolute heaven. It was like he knew exactly where you were hurting and what kind of pressure you needed without you having to utter a sound. As he kneaded out the knots in your muscles, you took the time to thank whatever greater force led you to marry such a wonderful man with an aptitude for massages.
6. Every morning is a lazy morning with him, filled with lots of cuddles, soft kisses, and light laughter <3
When someone does farm work for a living, they're used to getting up early, usually waking with the sun and sleeping when it disappears. Daryl, naturally, subscribes to that as well, and to make sure you don't miss out on precious togetherness, so do you. It was another early morning before work, but you and Daryl have your alarms set to wake 30 minutes before you actually need to get up to allow for the tender moments reserved for this time of day.
"Mornin', darlin'" Daryl mumbled, remnants of sleep evident in his voice as he held you close. Your eyes were still closed as you relished the smell of leftover cologne still left on his chest. After a big yawn, you opened your eyes to be greeted by your lovely Daryl, a gentle smile on his face as he gazed adoringly at you.
"I just woke up and you're looking at me like I'm the most attractive person on the planet," you told him, wiping the crust from your eyes.
"Duh. Because you are," he said, bringing you in for a kiss. A smile graced your face as well, finding yourself back in a comfortable position as you fought the urge to fall into slumber once more.
"Go back to sleep, cutie. I'll wake you up later."
You let out a content sigh as you snuggled into your loving husband's arms, him gripping you tight.
Daryl x gn!reader (request from @scoutandtank , please enjoy!! <3)
Warnings: one instance of cussing
Being a parent was hard.
Your daughter was born three months ago and you and Daryl have never been happier. She was the cutest thing, having inherited Daryl’s deep blue eyes and your bright smile. She was the light of your lives and you’d do anything for her… but you just wished that whatever she needed right now at 2:33 in the morning could wait until daybreak. Her cries rang through your room like there was a five alarm fire and she was the 20 fire trucks that showed up to the call. Even with your home in the middle of a farm in the land of nowhere, you were surprised all of Letterkenny hasn’t knocked on your door asking you and your baby to keep the noise levels down. Sighing, you sat up and wiped the sleep from your eyes the best you could while simultaneously putting your feet into the slippers next to your bed.
“Shh, honey, I’m coming,” you told your daughter. As you went to the crib, you noticed she was already out of it and in Daryl’s arms as he tried consoling her. He was standing, trying to rock her back to sleep.
“Dary, I got it. You go back to sleep, you worked all day.”
Daryl furrowed his brow.
“What, and you didn’t work? I know for a fact that baby watching is serious business. I got her, you try and get some rest.”
You loved your daughter and you loved Daryl but you knew there was no way you could sleep with the crying. You and Daryl were now used to getting up at all hours of the night to feed your daughter or rock her to sleep, but tonight seemed especially difficult and you felt yourself getting a bit cranky.
“Dary. I’m already awake and I can’t sleep until she does. Go back to bed.”
“No way! I’m already up too. If you can’t sleep right now, why don’t we just stay up together?”
You shot him a look.
“Because that’s stupid.”
He shrugged the best he could with a wailing baby over his shoulder.
“Yeah, probably. I’ve been told I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed many times.”
You tried so hard to be mad at him but you just had to crack a smile. Daryl was a caring father and husband with a silly sense of humor which was just another reason on the long list of why you loved him.
“Fine then. Since we’re both doing this, I’m going to get her bottle,” you said, going to the kitchen and coming back into your bedroom with some milk. Daryl took it from you graciously and began to feed your baby. You didn’t know what washed over you, if it was the lack of sleep or what, but the sight of your husband and your child bonding together like that was too much for your emotions and you started crying. Daryl, ever so attentive, quickly guided you back to the bed to sit down. He had his crying daughter in his arms and sobbing partner sat next to him, he was feeling a type of tired that he didn’t know was humanely possible, and yet he was still so ridiculously happy that this little family was all his. As you calmed down, so did your baby. Daryl cautiously set her down in her crib as she finally began her descent back into dreamland.
“Let’s talk in the kitchen,” Daryl whispered, taking your hand gently in his and leading the way. You took your place at the dining table while Daryl made you your favorite hot drink. When he took his place next to you and laid a hand soothingly on your back, you felt yourself want to cry even more. You’d snapped at him, yet he’d gone out of his way to still treat you with kindness. You thanked the universe every day for giving you a man like him.
“You wanna talk about it?” he asked softly as to not wake your sleeping daughter.
“Not really, but I know I need to,” you said, resting your face in your hands. “I think I just got super overwhelmed. You know I love you and our daughter so much. It’s like, I know I’m a parent now, but sometimes it just hits me that it actually happened. I see the two people I love more than this entire world and I… I guess I’m just so grateful beyond words for the life I’ve been given that I burst into tears randomly. I’m also really, really fucking tired.”
Daryl wrapped you in a tight hug, resting his stubbled chin on the top of your head.
“I love you so much, y/n. We’re gonna get through the hard parts together, like we always do. You’re such a great partner and parent and there’s no one else I’d rather share a child with.” When you pulled apart from the hug, you two shared a tender kiss.
“I don’t have work tomorrow so how about I’m on baby duty while you get the day to try and catch up on rest a bit?” Daryl suggested, and you nodded sleepily in agreement. He continued on.
“So, now that we got that all sorted out, do you think we’re ready for our second kid?”
