#nervous!daryl

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

"Well—thanks for the lift home," you said, stepping back up onto the curb behind you.

You were already drifting away from him and Daryl was already feeling it. His sides were still tingling where your hands had been only a few moments before. "Sure. S'nothin'," he nodded.

You gave him a half-smile. "And thanks for—you know, stepping in at the bar. I'm sorry it got you into trouble."

Daryl waved a hand vaguely and ducked his head. "S'just a fine. Ain't a big deal." He ran his fingers over the swelling on the other hand's knuckles, thinking that he'd do the same thing again and maybe worse.

You sighed. "I'm gonna pay that for you. I promise," you said. You felt a fluttering in your stomach and your nerves suddenly failed you. "Well, goodnight," you said quickly, tearing your eyes off him and turning to head up your walk. But you suddenly realized—"Oh! Your jacket!" you said, spinning quickly and starting to tug the weight of the warm leather off your shoulders.

Daryl had an expression on his face that you couldn't quite read. "Ya should keep it. It looks better on you anyhow," he somehow managed.

You walked back to the curb and held it out toward him, shaking your head. "I—I can't keep your jacket. It's your signature look! It has the wings on the back—your vest!" you insisted. "Besides, it's way too big anyway. But thank you. I was cold before."

He nervously chewed on his bottom lip and reached out to take it back from you. His rough fingers brushed yours as the fabric passed between you. "Ya just ruined my plan, ya know?" he drawled. You gave him a questioning look.

"Your plan?"

"Yeah... I was hopin' ya'd forget ya had it on and that way I'd have a reason to see ya again." He was too nervous to look at you while he spoke, so instead he picked at the edge of his motorcycle seat.

You were stunned for a moment, staring at him with wide doe eyes when he finally looked up again, but then your lips broke into a smile and you stepped toward him again, down off the curb.

"Hmm?" he hummed, anxious.

You held your hand out. "Gimme back the jacket," you said, grinning. Prompt: "Keep it. It looks better on you."

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

Daryl was surprised to see you standing on the other side of his door. He'd limped himself over from the couch, expecting Carol to be dropping off yet another strange casserole concoction, and he'd debated about answering at all, unsure if he could stomach another baked tray of decade expired sardines and random foraged ingredients. "Oh—hey," he said, his stomach jumping into his chest at the mere sight of you.

"Aren't you supposed to be horizontal?" you asked him, glancing at the swelling and deep bruising on his ankle. It was so swollen he couldn't even get a sock or shoe on it comfortably.

"Uhh—yer the one who knocked on my door," he retorted.

"Yeah, well, I tried to let myself in—" you brushed past him and his eyes followed you, "—but it was locked."

"Expecting someone you don't want to see?" you asked, turning to glance at him with an eyebrow cocked up.

"Mostly Carol's idea of apocalypse cookin'," he said, shutting the door and hobbling a few steps toward you. Your brow creased as you watched his careful steps.

You sighed, frowning softly. "Get back on the couch and off that ankle," you demanded.

"Did ya need somethin'?" he asked, curious why you were even there in the first place. "From you? In that condition? Absolutely not. Now go get off that damn ankle!"

Daryl obeyed this time. There were sharp pains shooting up his shin.

"Well, why didya come? Just to boss me around?"

You smiled at him, just a little one, but it touched the corners of your eyes and Daryl's heart started to race, as it always did.

"Well, despite what the others think, I happen to know your secret, Daryl," you said.

His heart, which had just been rushing, now seemed to still for a moment. "W—what?" You knew? How did you know? Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. You'd figured out that he was completely, 100%, head-over-heels for you. He didn't know how you'd put it together, what little thing he'd done, but you knew. And you were here to—what? Confront him? You set your bag down and brushed your hair out of your eyes, preoccupied while he stood completely still like an idiot, gaping at you. Wait—what had you said? 'Despite what the others think...' "My secret?" he somehow managed thickly, his tongue feeling clumsy in his mouth, as if he'd downed half a bottle of whiskey. "Yeah," you said, your smile growing into a wide grin. "Your secret. Everyone else says you want to be left alone, but I'm pretty sure you secretly enjoy being taken care of. And that's why I'm here."

He heaved a sigh of... relief? "Oh," he drawled, throwing in a low laugh, though it sounded somewhat unnatural to his ears. He ran a hand back through his wavy hair nervously, ruffling it.

"You need to stay off your feet. You can't be walking on that ankle or it will never heal. And anything you need, I'll be here."

"Anythin'?" he drawled, his face flushing subconsciously. "Might be a bit too generous."

You grinned back at him. "I don't think so."

Prompt: "Despite what the others think, I happen to know your secret." A/N: Having a great time in Switzerland! It's such a stunning country <3 Hope you appreciate this awkward Daryl as much as I do!

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

You were surprised to see Daryl standing nervously at your door. "Daryl. Hi," you said.

"Hey. Uhh—I heard... 'bout what happened with you and... your partner. 'M—" He couldn't actually get out "I'm sorry" because he wasn't. "Are ya okay?" he asked.

You nodded and shifted. 'Yeah, actually. I am. I think it was a long time coming..."

"Prob'ly still sucks though, righ'? I mean, you were together for a long time," he drawled.

You let out a wry laugh. "Yeah... I guess."

"Righ'," Daryl said awkwardly, shoving his hands into his back pockets and rocking on his feet. "Uhh—well, I just—wanted to make sure yer alrigh'..." he trailed off lamely.

You nodded, a little perplexed at the entire conversation and his sudden appearance on your doorstep. "I am. Thanks."

"Sure..." he said, withdrawing a hand from his pocket to nervously scratch at a non-existent itch on the back of his head. "Righ'. I'll—I'll see ya around." Daryl turned to leave but he hardly got three steps before he was cussing himself out and turning back around to catch you before you shut the door. "Uhh, hey—one—just—one more—" He nervously licked his lips. "Are ya free tonight?"

You stared at him for a moment, your expression blank, before it grew into a bright smile. You nodded. "Turns out I am."

"Great. Uhh... Can—can I cook ya dinner?"

Your grin widened. "You're gonna cook for me?"

He nodded. "If ya let me... Hope ya like venison."

"I love it," you said.

Prompt: "Are you free tonight?"

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

Warnings: sexual content (implied, nothing described)

You felt the reverberation of his words deep in his chest and tilted your head to look up at him. The two of you were basking in your togetherness after a blissful morning where you fell back into bed and still hadn't gotten up again after several hours. The light through the little window in Daryl's basement room was blazing bright.

"Can I ask ya somethin'?" he said, his fingers tapping a little anxiously on the bare skin of your shoulder.

"Mhm," you hummed.

"Are ya happy... here with me?"

He was so hesitant when he asked it that your heart panged and ached in your chest. You turned in his arm and leaned up on your elbows to look into his blue eyes. He was nervous, chewing on his bottom lip as was his habit.

"Daryl—love—" you began gently. "We're in bed together and have been for a couple hours... naked, might I add. Happy doesn't even begin to cover it. I couldn't imagine anything, anywhere, ever making me more happy than being with you, regardless of where we are.

He swallowed thickly at your words but the seas in his blue eyes had calmed and his expression was soft and relaxed again. "Yeah..." he mused softly. "I was just—checkin'..." He tugged you in toward him again and you laid down, tucking yourself up against his broad chest.

With his past, it wasn't unusual for him to need a little reassurance, and you didn't mind. You'd tell him whenever he needed to hear it.