Outted | D.D
Prompt: You go on a run with Daryl and Rick, where you meet Jesus...who eventually ends up outing your relationship to the rest of the group.
A/N: I just love this fic, it’s so cutesy!!
Word Count: 2.1k | Setting: 6x10 | Warnings: Like one cuss word, guns
Masterlist
Etsy Shop! | Commissions | Requests | Coming Soon
You were going out on a run with Daryl and Rick, something that had become more common, as you liked to stick together with Daryl and he pretty much wouldn’t let you go on a run without him. Often times Michonne would tag along too, but she couldn’t this time.
The run was supposed to be relatively simple, just the three of you scavenging for some food. Eugene stopped you guys on your way out, leaning over the passenger window and handing Daryl a map.
“I mapped out some of the agricultural supply places in the area. Even if they’ve been cleared out, my bet is that the sorghum would be untouched. Now that there is a criminally underrated grain that could change the game with our food situation from scary to hunky-dunky...”
Rick and Daryl look between the map and Eugene, neither saying a word, exchanging a comical look of mutual confusion and exasperation. You bit your tongue to hold back your laughter. Something about the way Eugene talked was just always hilarious to you, and the looks on the guys’ faces was priceless.
Eugene stared into Daryl’s soul for a long, silent, awkward minute, before continuing: “I’m talking standability, drought tolerance, grain to stover ratio that is the envy of all corns.”
He looks into Daryl’s eyes with a very serious face. “Think about it.”
Of course he had to explain himself in the most complicated way he could and therefore left all three of you staring at him, dumbfounded.
After another uncomfortable moment, Daryl rasped, “Thanks,” and Rick began to pull away slowly. Once he had driven a few yards you started laughing, even catching Daryl smirking and shaking his head. You leaned up in between the two of them, resting your arms on their seats.
“This is nice. The three of us, like back at the farm,” you smile. Rick grins, nodding his head. Daryl doesn’t speak, but looks back at you with the corner of his mouth raised in a half smile of acknowledgement, briefly touching your hand before returning his attention out the window.
He doesn’t look stressed, he actually looks sort of at peace. It’s nice to see him like this. Things have been relatively calm at Alexandria, minus the food situation becoming increasingly worse. He reaches over Daryl and opens the dash, pulling out a CD, making you perk up in excitement as he places the CD into the radio.
You don’t get to hear music often - the car was one of the few places that you could hear it sometimes if there was a CD.
“Don’t,” Daryl says. “Don’t. Please, don’t,” he groans, being dramatic, trying to act like he doesn’t find you or Rick amusing at all.
The song starts and Rick begins snapping his fingers to the beat, smiling at Daryl. They act like such brothers, it’s really nice to see, especially knowing Daryl’s history with Merle. He shakes his head and looks over his shoulder at you. You grin widely at him and begin singing along, dramatically pointing at and serenading him. He rolls his eyes but you catch the corner of his lips raising in a small smile, that he desperately tries to hide, as he watches you enjoy yourself.
The day starts off really good, you guys found a big truck full of cans and water and food, it was too good to be true…
Daryl had stopped to raid a vending machine for soda for Denise - apparently she wanted it for Tara - which you thought was adorable on her part and sweet on Daryl’s for actually following through. One of the things you loved about this tough guy. As Daryl was about to bust it open after finally getting it flipped over, you are suddenly knocked over by a long haired guy ramming between you and Rick. You fell over top of the vending machine laying on its side and Rick caught himself, both men quickly whipping out their guns.
He stops a few feet away holding his hands up when he sees the gun aimed at his head. “Hi,” the guy mutters through a large exhale, out of breath.
“Back up! Now!” Daryl shouts aggressively, shuffling behind Rick over to you but never dropping his gun or removing his eyes from the man. He reaches his hand out to you and you take it, gathering yourself hastily and removing your handgun from its holster, watching their backs.
“Keep em up!” Rick warns the blonde guy. You take a few steps from their backs, observing your surroundings, making sure nobody was sneaking up on you guys.
“Whoa, easy guys. I was just running from the dead,” the man says, his hands still raised. His voice is calm and monotone, despite him being out of breath. He is wearing a tan bandana that is covering everything but his eyes.
“How many?” Rick asks, glaring at the man. Something in you is telling you that he’s not a threat.
“Ten, maybe more. I’m not risking it, once they get to double digits I start running,” he replies, still catching his breath but slowly dropping his gloved hands.
“Where?” Daryl growls.
“‘Bout a half mile back. They’re coming this way, probably have about… Eleven minutes?” the man responds cooly. You continue scanning around as the two sus him out, looking for any walkers or people trying to approach you guys.
There is a long pause as the men look at one another, before Rick finally says “Okay,” and lowers his gun, placing it back inside of its holster. “Thanks for letting us know.”
“Yeah...There’s more of them than us, right? Gotta stick together,” you lower your gun and move to stand beside Daryl, studying the man. His gaze falls on you and you don’t feel very threatened. You’d like to think you’re a pretty good judge of character, much like these two, and he didn’t seem like a bad guy.
“Right?” the guy asks, looking at Daryl, who still had his gun aimed at his face. You nudge Daryl, and he finally lowers his gun. You exhale in relief as the tension is mostly defused. “You have a camp?” the man asks, and Daryl glares at him deeper, before growling: “Nah,”
“Do you?” Rick questions, cocking his head to the side slightly.
The guy looks between the three of you for a moment then shakes his head, saying “No… Sorry for running into you,” the man apologizes, and you nod your head at him.
“No hard feelings,” you reply.
“I’m gonna go now... This is the next world, I hope it’s good to you guys,” he says, turning on his heels and beginning to walk away.
“I’m Rick. This is Daryl and Y/N. What’s your name?”
He stops in his tracks, turning back around and finally lowering the bandana that was covering most of his face.
“Paul Rovia,” he says, extending his arms out to the sides: “but my friends used to call me Jesus.” He has a hint of a playful smile on his lips, and a matching glimmer in his eyes.
“Your pick.” He continues.
Rick starts asking the guy about if he is on his own, and Daryl shakes his head, muttering “Not this guy,” as he turns to grab your forearm and tug you along gently, suddenly wanting you far from this guy.
You let Daryl guide you away to the vending machine to gather some more goodies for Tara and Denise. He hands you a coke just as Rick returns to the two of you. You hear loud bangs a few moments later and the three of you instantly pull out your guns, believing the sound to be gunshots.
You slowly creep around the side of the building, Rick taking the lead, signaling for you to stop with his hand. Then you see some firecrackers go off on a barrel and realize what just happened.
“Shit!” Rick exclaims and the two of them run ahead of you to the truck while you trail behind, watching their back.
You turn around in time to see the man - Paul - toss a backpack out of the window and holler “Sorry!”
The three of you stand there, staring defeatedly as he drove the truck away.
You guys ended up chasing the man and, after he stopped somewhere and there was a struggle, tied him up on the side of the road. You felt bad, he seemed like a good enough guy, despite stealing the truck. Daryl and Rick were heading back to the truck when you decided to give him your coke, setting it beside him. Rick had left him a knife a feet few away - he would be okay.
“Y/N!” Daryl calls out, waiting for you at the passenger door. You turn on your heels and hop into the truck, scootching over to the middle to make space for Daryl, who slams the door shut. Daryl puts the middle finger up in the mirror as he settles his feet on the dash and begins unwrapping an old chocolate bar, handing you and Rick thirds of it.
After a few minutes, you guys realized that the man had somehow gotten on the roof and that resulted in Daryl chasing the man around a field while Rick and you killed the wandering walkers. After a struggle between Daryl and Paul in the truck, one of them must have hit the gearshift, because the truck starting tumbling into the river.
“Daryl!” you scream, running after the truck that was heading right toward the river, and he jumps out just in time, however the man fell out and hit his head on a large rock, getting knocked unconscious.
You finally catch up to Daryl and let out a sigh of relief as he stands up. “You okay?” you ask him, grabbing his biceps and looking him over. He nods, out of breath. Rick joins you guys, frowning at the water where the truck was sinking. After a moment, you acknowledge the unconscious man on the ground.
“We can’t leave him,” Rick tells Daryl as he tries to do so. You give him a stern look and he shrugs his shoulders.
“He saved you,” Rick reminds him.
In the end, you guys ended up tying him up again and hauling him into the backseat of one of the cars.
You offered to sit in the back with him but Daryl refused, deciding to do so himself. You turned to watch in amusement as the unconscious man fell onto Daryl’s shoulder a few times and he shoved him away, clearly irritated.
For some reason you found it pleasing that Daryl doesn’t do that to you when you lean on him - although he’d never do exactly that, you’re just glad he doesn’t push you away. You lean your chin on your arms on the seat and smile back at him.
“What?” he rasps, clearly confused as to why you’re staring. “Oh, nothin...Cutie.” you smirk, turning back around and glancing at Rick who is smirking at the remark you made. You hear Daryl scoff in the back and your smirk only grows.
When you guys got to Alexandria, you left him in the hands of Denise. Rick left him a note that they will come get him from the room they locked him in in the morning with a glass of water and a cookie.
~
The thing with you and Daryl was… Rick knew, Michonne knew… But nobody else did. You guys had been very good at keeping your private life, private. Of course people suspected or knew of your feelings, but nobody else actually knew that you guys had made it official.
Until of course, Paul had to walk right into your bedroom while you and Daryl were sleeping, almost completely naked. He had been joining you in bed more often lately. He’s usually gone before everyone wakes up, being an early-riser and all, so he didn’t worry about what he was wearing, since he knew he’d be one of the first to get up - he didn’t expect to have to jump out of bed in the middle of the night.
You were woken immediately when Daryl jumped straight out of bed and grabbed his gun, aiming it at the man standing in the doorway. You were still half asleep so your reflexes were nowhere near on par with Daryl’s, just sitting there pulling up the sheets to cover your naked chest.
“Oh, um, I was trying to find Rick…” Paul says, keeping his hands up - and his eyes high. You shrink into the bed in embarrassment as he slowly leaves the room and takes a seat at the top of the stairs. You and Daryl quickly throw on some clothes and go to meet him in the hall to get Rick, worried he may wander off into the community or something.
Not thinking clearly in your tired state, you throw on a baggy t-shirt and your shorts and open the door, Daryl following you as he buckles his pants back up hastily. Expecting to only see Jesus in the hall, you are mortified to find Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Maggie, Abraham and Carl on the stairs, everyone holding or aiming guns at Paul.
Carl goes wide-eyed at seeing you and Daryl exit your room together, and you hide your face in your hand, embarrassed that this is how everyone found out. Daryl is clearly angry and starts hollering obscenities at Paul, and at Rick when he chimes in. You decide that you don’t care enough for this right now and head back into your bedroom, crawling under the sheets and hiding your face in the pillow.
After what felt like forever, but was probably more or less ten minutes, you heard the door open and close, and quiet footsteps approaching you. The bed dips and you feel comfort instantly, glad that Daryl has returned instead of going off on his own, embarrassed by everyone discovering your secret. You turn to face him as he gets under the covers carefully, clearly trying not to wake you.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, turning on his side to face you.
“Glad you came back,” you whisper, moving closer to him and resting your head on his shoulder, leaning into his chest, your arm snaking around his torso. He no longer stiffens whenever you do this, unless it’s in public.
You feel the arm you are laying on move to hold your lower back, rubbing it gently, soothing you to a sleepy state in just a few seconds, when you were just so restless.
“Rick… Handle him?” you ask quietly through a tired yawn. You feel Daryl nod as he rests his chin on your head.
“Sleep,” he mutters, his hand rubbing your arm soothingly, and you are unable to respond, too tired.
If you would like to be added to one of my taglists, feel free to let me know :)
@lokilover2000-blog @tv-show-shit@mtngirlforever@tehfabbooty@jodiereedus22 @momc95@cole-winchester@fuzzy-panda@loudlydarkcollective @sourwolf-sterek32@mwesterfeld1985@namelesslosers@badluckgirl@zzeacat@twdeadfanfic @elamy17 @my-current-fandom-is@gryffindorshadowhunter@fangirlsarah16@justaclosetedgay @a-little-piece-of-heaven-xox@hello-valerie@spaghettirogers@blueboolu @fangirl-juchan@pleasepleasepleaseme@fearlessxlaurin @jdhdbfki837 @dotslabyrinth@isayweallgetdrunk @bts-suga-2013 @bvbwestfall@vibhati123@ask-kakashihatake @clumsy-writing-rdb@07chenzo03 @daryldixonandfrogs@franzixlovesxsomeone@ivars-snowflake @duchessdeeer @mazerunnerrose@gruffle1@harry-titss @coffeebooksandfandom@marisacooper@neeadinghugs @theserpentsqueen @firelonewolf @habelm @abilostinlight @isilmiel