*Summary: It’s Daryl Dixon’s 18th birthday and he can’t stop his brother from dragging him to the strip club, one of Merle’s favourite places, to celebrate. There’s a new singer there, a girl with a beautiful voice and a beautiful smile, even Daryl can see it. Little does he know, he’s going to meet her again at the woods soon. This was a request but it got out of hand.
Daryl’s POV. Teen Daryl.Pre-apocalypse. Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Angst
3316 words
Chapters: 7/8
Link to masterlist with more chapters and works is in the info of this blog.
I can’t believe this fic ends next week :( I hope you’re enjoying it :(
***Also I’ve been reblogging a lot of young Norman pics to get in the mood for teen Daryl, if you want to check it! Some of them are really how I imagine him in this story: twdeadfanfic.tumblr.com/tagged/tftbym ***
Last chapter…one of Merle’s friend tried to hurt Y/N at the outside of the club but Daryl was there to stop him, and thankfully Merle was there to help his brother out of the fight. He got hurt though, and Y/N asked him to get into her home so she could help him...
“I’m sorry, it’s a mess.” Y/N apologized, embarrassed, as she opened the door of her flat and walked him inside.
Daryl looked around at the tiny apartment but there was nothing that was Y/N’s, which he knew it was normal since she’d had to leave most of her stuff behind when she left her old house. There was only a small room, besides the tiny bathroom that he could see through a half-closed door, with a small kitchen at one side of the room and a sofa that had been pulled out as a bed at the other side. In the middle of the room was a table with some books, the only thing in the flat that were truly Y/N’s.
Y/N walked him to the bed, pushing him down to sit on it and Daryl was flustered, something twirling inside his belly at being sat down on her bed, but he tried to ignore it.
“Wait a second.”
Y/N went to the bathroom, coming back with some disinfectant, gauze pads, and a washcloth. She dropped it all onto the bed and made for the kitchen, and Daryl watched her as he filled a bowl with warm water before making his way back to him. She knelt down next to him and dipped the washcloth into the warm water.
“Thanks.” He told her quietly.
“Don’t thank me, you ended up like this because of me.” Y/N berated herself.
“No, it wasn’t your fault, I told you.”
Y/N just shrugged and began to carefully wash the blood off his face. It hurt and he knew there must be quite a few bruises forming, but Daryl tried to keep it down, knowing Y/N was worried. Still, when she began to carefully dab disinfectant into the wounds on his lip, his eyebrow, one of his cheekbones, he couldn’t help but wince.
“I’m sorry.” Y/N whispered, biting her lip.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not…” She trailed her fingers over his cheek ever so slightly and Daryl closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. It hurt, but it felt so good too. “I hope nothing of this needs stitches…”
“Nah, I’m fine.” Daryl opened his eyes when he noticed her pulling back and he watched her as she went to the kitchen to rummage into the freezer, and then she wrapped some ice-cubes with a cloth. She knelt down next to him again and pressed the cloth to his swollen eye. Daryl hissed in pain, couldn’t help it, and Y/N winced, opening her mouth as if to apologize again, but he didn’t let her.
“No, stop. It wasn’t your fault.” He tried to assure her again and Y/N said nothing, just looked at him with sad eyes that he hated.
“I know you didn’t want your brother or anyone knowing that we’re friends. I’m sorry.”
“Nah, nah, I don’t care.” They could talk all they wanted, as long as they left Y/N alone. “Besides, now they know to better not try to hurt you.”
He wasn’t too sure of that, though, if Merle hadn’t shown up then Daryl wasn’t sure he could have come on top of the fight, but at least now he was more or less sure John wouldn’t try anything again, and he hoped none else would try to mess with Y/N if now they knew he was going to stand for her. At least, he hoped it helped Y/N feel safer, even though she’d kind of seen him get beaten by the guy he was trying to protect her from. Shame knotted his stomach, but the way in which Y/N was looking at him helped him feel a bit better.
“Have I told you how amazing you are? I don’t think you know how much.” She told him quietly and Daryl blushed, couldn’t help it, and he scoffed. “No, don’t do that.” She chided him. “You are. You are the best.” The way in which she spoke and looked at him was almost enough to have Daryl believing her words, but not quite. He was grateful nonetheless, but he couldn’t find words to say it.
“When that prick said that shit about you…I wanted to punch him, or stab him, or something.” Y/N grumbled, her eyes lighting with anger, and Daryl felt again that rush of warmth and affection as he could see once again how she really cared that much for him. He remembered how she’d tried to go for John as he scorned him, no matter she’d been scared.
“Thank you.” He whispered, he didn’t know how to tell her how much all that meant to him, how he was feeling, how she made him feel.
“No, thank you. If you hadn’t been there…” She shuddered.
“No, don’t think about that.” Daryl placed his hand on top of the one that was holding the cloth to his eye, and she gave him a weak smile.
The ice cubs began to melt and Y/N pulled back the cloth, using a dry end to wipe the moist from Daryl’s face, and he tried not to wince again. She dropped the cloth and everything else onto the floor and turned to look at him again. She caressed his face with her fingertips again, ever so slightly so as not to hurt him, and when she ran his fingers through his hair Daryl couldn’t stop his eyes from closing as he almost purred.
He felt her lips kissing his cheekbone softly, under his swollen eye, and then on his forehead, above his split eyebrow, before she rested her forehead against his softly, and Daryl was once again overwhelmed by those warm feelings.
Daryl opened his eyes when Y/N pulled away to find her looking at him in a way that almost took his breath away, and he wondered if Y/N could see in his eyes the affection he saw in hers. It’d be so easy, to lean in and kiss her that Daryl almost gave in. He pulled back, taking a deep breath, trying to get a hold of himself and pull away from the atmosphere that had been created between Y/N and him.
“Are you hurt?” He rasped. Y/N seemed mostly fine, but Daryl wanted to make sure.
“No, I’m okay.” Y/N answered but Daryl lifted his eyebrows at her, wanting to be sure. “Nothing worse than a couple of bruises.”
“Let me see.” He asked softly and Y/N seemed hesitant but then she took off the shirt she wore over her tank top.
One of her arms had some scrapes and bruises from when she’d felt to the ground, and both arms had more bruises from John’s hands as he grabbed her hard. Her wrist was bruised and swollen from when John’d squeezed it until he made her drop the knife. Daryl felt anger rising inside him again but he tried to control it.
Daryl took the bowl of water and the washcloth and began to wash the scrapes of her arm gently, and also some that he found on one of her hands too, and then he carefully dabbed disinfectant on them, flinching every time Y/N winced.
“Thank you.” She said quietly, and before Daryl could say anything, she’d wrapped her arms around him, holding him carefully as if she was afraid of hurting him. Daryl knew he’d more bruises under his clothes, it hurt when he breathed deep, but he didn’t care about it as he held Y/N to him. “It was my lucky day when I met you.”
It’d been Daryl’s too, he was sure, but he couldn’t get himself to tell her, just the same that he couldn’t get himself to explain to her how much she meant to him. He just didn’t know how to, couldn’t find the words, couldn’t find his voice, nerves getting the best of him every time he considered trying. He just hoped she knew anyway.
Y/N pulled away, looking at him intently, reaching out to gently caress his less bruised cheek before cupping it and leaning in. Daryl knew what was coming but he couldn’t get himself to say anything, to stop it, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Y/N’s lips met his, tentatively, and Daryl’s felt as if his heart stopped before it started beating so fast that it felt like bursting out of his chest.
The wound of his lip hurt as her lips brushed his softly but Daryl couldn’t care, he barely felt it, one of his hand moving to her neck on its own accord, fingers tangling into her hair as Y/N kissed him again and again. It was wrong, he knew it. He’d told himself it couldn’t be, it couldn’t happen, it was for the best. He tried to remember it. It’d just make everything hurt more. It was like he didn’t care, though, unable to not kiss her back.
“Stop.” He whispered against her lips, but he didn’t pull back, couldn’t.
Y/N did, though, stopping when he asked her to, pulling back and looking at him confused. Daryl swallowed hard, trying to recover his breath, trying to think clearly again.
“Daryl?” She called for him and he could only shake his head, not trusting his voice, not sure about what he wanted to say. “Sorry…I thought…I’m sorry.” Y/N shifted away from him, seeming embarrassed and sad, and Daryl felt bad thinking she thought she didn’t like her like that, no matter he knew it was for the best.
“We can’t. You’re leaving.” He tried to explain, hoping she’d understand without him needing to tell her how it’d tear his heart apart if she left after he’d gotten to kiss her, to be with her like that. It hurt enough as it was, a lump knotting his throat every time he thought about the day Y/N’d leave.
“What if I don’t?” She retorted.
It took Daryl aback and he started at Y/N, considering her words. It was crazy to think that she might consider to stay and be with him, but it seemed it was what she meant. It made him want to tell her to not leave, to stay with him, but he knew he couldn’t do that. It wasn’t fair for her.
That day had just proven again why Y/N’d wanted to leave, Daryl didn’t want her to go through something like that again. Even when she managed to leave that club, Daryl knew people’d keep gossiping bullshit about her, and how it affected her more than what she wanted to admit. Besides, in that town she couldn’t have the life she wanted.
Like Y/N, most people that wanted to make something with their life left that place. It wasn’t fair to ask her to stay when he knew she’d have a better chance at the city, she’d be happier there, she’d have a better life. He knew she would. At the very least, way better than the one she could have in that town that she resented.
He loved her, he couldn’t ask her to stay stuck in a place she hated, having a dull life, giving up everything he knew she could achieve at the city, only so she could be with him. She’d realize it, sooner or later, even if she stayed, and then she’d leave him anyway.
It couldn’t be. Daryl didn’t know how to tell her all that, though, how to make her see. It was hard enough to convince himself of it.
“You’re leaving.” It was the only thing he could say. It was true, it was a fact, and it was what he knew she needed to do, no matter how his body screamed at him to just shut up and kiss her again.
“Okay.” Y/N nodded, looking down, shifting further away from him, and Daryl felt like someone punched his stomach when he noticed her eyes getting wet. He didn’t know what to do, he hadn’t meant to make her cry.
Y/N noticed him looking at her anxiously and she rubbed her eyes. “Shit…sorry…just…” She took a long breath, trying to get a hold of herself, and Daryl felt like crying himself looking at her in distress. He reached out to take her hand, squeezing it softly, and Y/N seemed a bit surprised but she squeezed it back. “Just…it’s been a long day.”
Daryl nodded. “You have to get some rest, I’ll leave so you can sleep.” He tried to get up but Y/N didn’t let go of his hand, holding it tighter.
“No, wait, wait…stay for a little bit longer please?” Her wet, sad eyes begged him and Daryl couldn’t say no, nodding and settling down beside her again.
Y/N pulled at the hand she was holding until she made him wrap his arm around her and she looked at him, seeming hesitant and doubtful so Daryl tightened his arm around her to show her it was okay. Y/N smiled sadly and shifted closer to him, snuggling against his chest and tucking her head under his chin.
She didn’t say anything and neither did Daryl, overwhelmed once again by the feelings that holding her like that gave him. He wrapped his other arm around her too, holding her to him, and he ran his knuckles up and down her arm softly. He felt her relax on his arms until eventually, she fell asleep.
Daryl didn’t move, holding her for a little while as she slept, but eventually he shifted to lie her down on the bed, resting her head on the pillow and shifting the sheets to cover her. Y/N stirred, trying to blink her sleepy eyes awake.
“Stay…” She murmured, trying to take his hand again, but Daryl regretfully pulled away. The temptation to curl himself around her and hold her while she slept was too big, and Daryl knew that if he gave in, there was no way he could tear himself away from her after it.
“Sleep.” He whispered, kissing her forehead and loving too much the small, sweet smile that tugged at Y/N’s lips at that. She was still half asleep, and so thankfully soon she was asleep again.
With a last glance at Y/N, Daryl left her place and just spent the next hours wandering through the town, not wanting to face Merle, lost in his thoughts.
*
During the next days, nobody bothered Y/N again. Daryl didn’t knew if it was because they saw him waiting for her outside the club, or if people knew about his fight with John and maybe they thought he’d some kind of claim over Y/N, which Daryl wasn’t sure how it made him feel, or if maybe they knew about Merle’s threat to John and didn’t want to risk it.
Whatever it was, Daryl was grateful for it.
The only downside was Merle continuously teasing and asking him about Y/N, to which Daryl never replied. He knew Merle taunted Y/N too whenever he went to the club, but she hadn’t given him many details, and Daryl wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to know the stuff his brother said or not.
Sometimes he wondered about going to the club, just to see it by himself, but he didn’t look forward to going in there again, and he didn’t feel comfortable with it. Y/N didn’t seem to like the idea of him going either, as if it embarrassed her somehow, and so Daryl never did.
He didn’t hide anymore when he walked Y/N to the club or went to pick her up, walking her to the door and then coming back to wait for her outside, wanting to be sure everybody could see she wasn’t alone.
Practically every late afternoon, they would meet at the woods, and then they’d eat together before she had to go work. Daryl always walked her to the club, she now got ready there instead of at home, and then he usually went to pick her up on his bike. Sometimes he felt like walking her home instead of riding, so they could spend a little bit more of time together, just walking and talking, and so sometimes he ditched the bike and just walked her home, which Y/N didn’t seem to mind at all. Somehow, whenever he walked her home, his arm would find his way around her shoulders, he couldn’t help it, and Y/N didn’t seem to mind that either, always snuggling to his side.
Neither of them had talked about the kiss they had shared, but Daryl had noticed some subtle changes in their relationship, in the way they behaved with each other, something that didn’t seem either of them could stop, but that was never acknowledged. It was his arm around her shoulders when he picked her up at the club and they walked at night. Or his hand at the small of her back when they walked through the woods. It was Y/N holding his hand when they sat down on the woods, talking and talking. Or the way in which she held him a little bit more tight than what was necessary when she rode behind him on his bike. Or how she hugged him and kissed his cheek whenever he dropped her at the club or at her place.
Daryl knew Y/N could see it too, but neither of them talked about it. Daryl tried to tell himself it was for the best. It wasn’t that different from how they had behaved before, but it felt different now, there was something between them, Daryl didn’t know what, and it was driving both of them crazy but neither of them seemed to know how to stop it. It was that rush of electricity when they laced their fingers, or the flow of warm affection when they held each other. It was overwhelming and Daryl loved it as much as he hated it.
Daryl’s mind had wandered once again to it all as he walked to the woods, and he tried to push it all to the back of his mind again. He found himself sometimes wondering about it, about their relationship, when he and Y/N were together, and then Y/N would ask him what was he thinking and he’d get all flustered.
He walked into the clearing, the same as always since that first day they met, and he saw Y/N there sat down on a log. Even from afar he could see that something was wrong, she looked sad, he could read her good by now, and fear gripped him. Had someone done anything to her? Tried to? Maybe it had been just gossip?
“What’s wrong?” He asked as he rushed to her, and Y/N looked up seeming a bit startled, as if she’d been lost in thought.
“Hey, Daryl, hi.” Now that he was close, it was more obvious that she’d cried, and her voice sounded sad too. “Nothing’s wrong.”
“It is.” Daryl tried to keep his fear at bay but he didn’t know if he managed. “Tell me. Did someone do anything to you? Tried to? Did they tell you anything?”
“No, no, slow down. It’s nothing like that, nothing’s wrong.” Y/N reached out and took his hand, her thumb stroking over his knuckles as if trying to reassure him that everything was okay, but Daryl could still see there was something off with her.“ It’s just…my friend Nora called this morning. Her boss is going to hire someone, and you know Nora told her about me.” She took a long breath. “So I have a chance at getting the job, she’s offered it to me. All I have to do is go to the city and talk to her.”
Daryl tried to process Y/N words. He didn’t know what to say. Didn’t even know what to think. Y/N was leaving? He’d known, since that first day they met at the woods, that this day was coming, and still, he couldn’t believe it was going to happen.
.....
Oh well...
Next chapter it’s the last!
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