Daryl was very displeased that you tagged along for this little "meeting" with the Governor. He swore up and down: "Ya ain't comin!" But here you stood, leaning against the old green SUV you drove over in with Rick and Hershel rather than the motorcycle, since Daryl was pissed with you. Rick wanted Daryl and Hershel there, one for moral and logic, one for muscle. You were one of the best shooters and had become someone Rick trusted to be honest and logical, as well. He trusted you and Hershel to see both sides and help him make rational decisions.
Daryl, however, was not rational when he was emotional. As the car drove up at a fast speed, he had his bow aimed at the driver, his face scrunched in a focused frown. He took a few steps toward the truck, keeping his body positioned before you. He was anxious - scared even - with you being there. He imagined all the worst case scenarios in his head and all of them ended with you hurt or worse.
You kept your hand on the pistol holstered on your right hip, watching intently as two men and Andrea step out of the tan truck. You instantly get off vibes from the driver, a man with a buzzcut and attitude practically dripping off of him as he stares at Daryl, slamming the door closed behind himself. A nerdy, scrawny man with glasses and a far too formal outfit, gets out from the seat behind him, a frown on his face and no visible weapons on his person.
Andrea makes eye contact with you for a second, but says nothing before averting her gaze to Daryl.
"What the hell! Why's yer boy already in there?" Daryl calls out, not lowering his bow.
"He's here?" Andrea seems genuinely surprised, before heading straight inside. The man leans against the front of the truck, seeming very at ease, smirking at Daryl. You nudge his bicep, wordlessly telling his to chill out. His eyes dart to you, then back to the man, before finally lowering the bow.
No one talks for the first few minutes, waiting in uncomfortable silence. Eventually, Andrea returns, having been kicked out by the "Governor" and Rick. This pissed her off, but amused you.
"Maybe I should go in there?" Hershel says aloud to Daryl.
"The Governor thought it best if he speak to Rick alone," the nerdy guys speaks up.
"Who the hell are you?" Daryl retorted.
"Milton Mamet," he responds.
"Great. He brought his butler," Daryl snorts, and you bite your tongue to keeps from laughing aloud.
"I'm his advisor."
"What kind of advice?" Daryl shuffles around, still eyeing up both men.
"Planning. Biters. You know, I'm sorry I don't really feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen." The attitude catches you off guard, making you flex your fingers laced on the gun tucked in your holster, but Daryl is unphased.
"Better watch yer mouth, sunshine," he drawls, squinting at the smaller man with a dangerous calm in his voice.
"Look, if you and I are gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day, do me a favor - shut your mouth," the other guy retorts. Your fingers tighten on the gun in your holster, glaring at the smug man. Daryl doesn't hesitate a second before walking right up into the man's face, sizing him up, ready to shut him up real quick. You unstrap the holster and wrap your hand around the pistol, pulling it up just an inch, waiting for a signal from Daryl.
Your heart pounds in your chest as you watch him. He's so sure of himself - and you know he can easily take this man on - but their egos could start a brand new fight, one between both communities, not just the men.
"Hey, we don't need this!" Hershel speaks up. "If all goes south in there, we'll be at each other's throats soon enough," he says, temporarily quelling the tension between the men.
The men exchange a look a moment longer before Daryl backs down, respecting Hershel - and more than that, prioritizing your safety by not starting something that doesn't have to happen.
A few more minutes pass by in tense silence. Daryl paces back and forth for a while before sort of settling beside you against the SUV.
You leaned on the car beside Daryl, keeping a couple of inches between the two of you, as you know how he feels about giving him space in front of others. You were thirsty, so you stood up, catching the attention of everyone from the sudden move. Clearly everyone was on edge in each other's presence.
"Relax. I need a drink," you announce, turning around and opening the driver door, bending in and leaning across the seat to grab the bottle of water on the passenger seat.
"Ay! Ya serious?" You snap back around in time to see Daryl tossing his arm angrily, glaring at the man you still did not know the name of.
"Keep yer fuckin eyes to yerself," Daryl growls. Oh. Had he looked at your ass when you leaned over?
You feels your cheeks heat up, enjoying that Daryl stood up for you but also a little embarrassed. The man throws his hands up in defense sarcastically, still grinning cockily as he leaned on the hood. Tugging at the bottom of your shorts, you glance up at Daryl as he watches you, standing up straight, his fingers stiff on the trigger of his loaded bow, ready to defend you at a moment's notice.
Andrea rolls her eyes. "Really?" she huffs.
You and her had never gotten along, she got on your last nerve, and the feeling was definitely mutual. Daryl leans on the car again, making eye contact with you and Hershel for a brief moment before huffing and fiddling with his crossbow.
Another moment passes in awkward silence before Andrea speaks again. "So you two?" she asks, motioning her head toward you and Daryl.
You look at him for a brief moment, seeing him chewing on his bottom lip, glancing over at you from where he stood and making an annoyed sound of acknowledgement. She snorts but says nothing else.
"Well... There's no reason not to use this time we have together to... explore the issues ourselves," Milton approaches Hershel hesitantly, a small book in hand.
"I say we sit tight and shut up," says the other man.
"And no one cares what you have to say," you grumble, not necessarily speaking to him, just aloud, but both he and Daryl look at you all the same.
"What'd you say?" he starts, and you stand up a little straighter, about to fire back before Daryl interrupts.
"Whatchu, the governor?" Daryl rasps sarcastically. The man and him exchange another dirty look, the tension in the air thick.
"I mean it's a good thing, that they're sitting down... Especially after what happened," Milton tries again. "They're gonna work it out, nobody wants another battle."
"Wouldn't exactly call it a battle," Daryl scoffs, a twinge of amusement displaying on his face from the smaller man's word choice.
"I would call it a battle. And I did," he holds up the little book in his hand. "I recorded it."
"For what?" Daryl grumbles, shifting his weight, his hand gripping his bow slung over his shoulder, standing beside you.
"Somebody's got to keep a record of what we've gone through... It'll be a part of our history."
"That makes sense," Hershel finally speaks up, seeming to like the nerdy guy's idea. Milton takes this as encouragement to continue.
"I've got... dozens of interviews-"
"Didn't I say shut up?" the other guy grumbles.
"Hey, chill," you say, having had enough of the attitude.
"That goes for you too, sweetheart. Why don't we all just shut the hell up and wait for our damn orders," he says. Daryl stiffens beside you and takes a step forward, but you put your arm out to stop him from approaching the other guy.
"The hell'd ya just say?" he growls.
"Daryl," Hershel warns, but he's not listening.
"Hey, he's not worth it," you mutter, waiting for his gaze to drop to yours. When it does, it softens, and he nods ever so slightly.
"Damn, Y/N, really got Dixon wrapped around your little finger," Andrea calls out, amused. You glare at her and let out a huff.
"Can we all stop trying to get under each other's skin? Seriously? Act like some fucking adults," you grumble, suddenly anxious to get back home to the prison.
A familiar growl of walkers approaching gets everyone's attention, making Milton shrivel away to the side of the truck, whereas the rest of you grab your weapons.
Daryl takes the lead, with the other guy and Andrea following close behind. You watch Daryl's back, uneasy about this guy behind him.
He spots only two walkers, so he lowers his crossbow and makes a motion to him swinging his arm. "After you," he drawls.
"No hey, you first," he aims his bat toward the walkers. Andrea rolls her eyes and shoves between the two men, hollering and dramatically stabbing the first walker in the head.
"Pussy," the guy insults Daryl, making a face toward you before turning and swinging his bat dramatically a few times, smashing a walker's head in one violent swing, turning to grin widely, winking at you.
Daryl's jaw tightens and he shoves past as the next walker comes around the corner, easily shooting the walker directly between the eyes. The guy does another move with his bat before smashing that walker's head in, and by this point, Andrea has lost interest and heads back. You continue to trail behind, watching Daryl's back, letting him take the lead in this situation.
The Governor's guy approaches the next walker, but just as he raises his bat to smash their head, Daryl shoots an arrow through that walker in the head from behind him. The man moves toward the final walker, but Daryl has already unsheathed his large dagger. He holds it skillfully in his hand before throwing it from at least ten yards away, whizzing past his head and directly into the skull of the remaining walker, stealing the kill.
The man looks between the two of you, trying to mask his astonishment and the fact that he's actually kind of impressed with Daryl. You grin at your man before turning around and heading back, allowing him to trail behind you, feeling Daryl's eyes burning a whole into your back.
The rest of the remaining handful of minutes are passed in silence. After what felt like an eternity - but was probably only about twenty minutes - the door finally slides open and everyone shoots up, back on guard.
The Governor strides out confidently, not looking at anyone or speaking a word before he opens the door to their truck and gets in, turning it on immediately. Rick follows closely behind, also wordlessly approaching the driver seat of your car, but keeping an eye on the Governor as he does so.
Daryl watches the others closely as he sits down on his motorcycle, giving you a look that practically says 'cmere.' You walk around cautiously and throw your leg over the back as he revs the engine to life.
Andrea stands in between both cars, looking between both leaders, seeming unsure of herself before finally walking back to their truck and climbing into the passenger seat.
You wrap your arms around Daryl's torso as he kicks the stand up and starts moving, he and the Governor make intense eye contact as he drives by their truck leading the way of Rick and Hershel.
Their truck drives off in the opposite direction and you feel the tension and thickness of their air finally fade away. Daryl gives your thigh a quick squeeze before replacing his hand back on the bike, and you place a soft kiss in the crook of his neck, allowing the breeze in your hair and the scent of Daryl to calm your anxieties.
Hey welcome! I hope you get some happy nostalgia and find a good escape while you’re here.
The Slowpoke Series can be found here, along with all Reader Requests (including the two Fabulously Confident Reader stories).
Everything, including the link to the Chronological Slowpoke List, can be found under “Keep Reading.”
I highly recommend going ham and diving in! You’ll find every chapter listed in order of publishing, from oldest on top to newest on the bottom.
Kindness spam is always welcome for any story or chapter, even the oldies!
This series is reader-insert, has Daryl x Reader as the end goal, is fairly wholesome, and is canon-compliant (as much as fanfiction has that capability when adding a new character XD).
Reader doesn’t have a specific look. Twangy accent, yes, but their looks match whatever you look like.
I’m fixing to stick to canon and shove you right into and in between the episodes.
That thing season 10 and that thing in spinoff season 2 (y’all know the things) :P will be reworked into non-romantic relationships or a one-sided deal, no cheating or adultery will take place whatsoever, cross my heart!
The stories are not all in chronological order in terms of when things take place, there are some time jumps. But never fear, the time frame of each one is specified at the top. I don’t know about y’all, but I love me some non linear storytelling :) When the chapters are written out of order, it’s on purpose.
All pronoun info along with trigger warnings are noted at the top of each story.
For those who prefer a tidy timelines, we got us a chronological chapter list now, too!
Again, please remember that while Shane is the reader’s big brother, their family isn’t solely blood related. The reader looks just like you (this is me asking that you imagine yourself as you are)
Any amount is a blessing and could really help right now, and Ko-fi doesn’t charge fees. Please toss anything in the Tip Jar
The Slowpoke Series *ongoing as of March 2025*
Slowpoke Pre-S03, GN
Deal S03, GN
Quarter! S01, GN
How’s your head? Part 1 S01, F
How’s your head? Part 2 S01, F
The Chicken Swim S01, FI
“Deserved” Part 1 S01, GN
“Deserved” Part 2 S01, GN
It’s not the end of the wor - oh. S01, FI but GN
That mangy hick! S01, GN
The Interview (story line no longer in limbo) S05, F
After the interview S05, F
Southern Comfort, a Wii, and a big bowl of spaghetti. S01, GN
Dead-end? S01, GN
There’s also a bar. S01, GN
Every step. S05, F
Like a traditional Sunday dinner S01, GN
Too much thinking before bed, Part 1 S01, GN
Too much thinking before bed, Part 2 S01, GN
Ain’t nothing... S01, GN
Hell of a day S01, GN
A fu---n’ great Christmas Pre-S03, GN
douche car. Pre-S02, F
...but 'dirtbag car’ if the kids are listening Pre-S02, F
Two idiots Pre-S02, GN
What’s worth going postal Pre-S02, GN
Bad things happen* S02, GN
*in threes S02, GN
Just one scrap, Part 1 S02, GN
Just one scrap, Part 2 S02, GN
The best kind of damn weird Pre-S09, F
Yesterday was rough S02, GN
White lies. S02, GN
It was a pragmatic cigarette S02, GN
What were your nightmares about? S02, FI
Happy 8th of July! Pre-S04, GN
Better with a friend S02, F/GN
Picking a flower = saving the day S02, F/GN
A cause for concern S02, GN
Oh my. S02, GN/FI
A mighty good team S02, GN/FI
A measure of reverence, Part 1 S02, F
A measure of reverence, Part 2 S02, F
souls stripped bare S02, F
The first Christmas “without,” Part 1 Pre S03, GN
The first Christmas “without,” Part 2 Pre S03, GN
I don’t hate you Pre S03, GN
Invisible, tugging strings, Part 1 S02, GN
Invisible, tugging strings, Part 2 S02, GN
Spell your last name, please. S02, GN
He hasn’t been himself S02, GN
Scary as a sleepy kitten S02, GN
Still beating Pre S09, F
“fondness” LOL S02, GN
Thank you, angel... S02, GN
Redemption Arcs S02, GN
That was it. S02, F
Stuck in a damn bed. S02, F
Shame on a plate S02, GN
Penance + (knock-off) Ambrosia S02, GN
Keep this dog asleep S02, GN
Onstage S02, F
A near-perfect Sunday S02, F
It felt so real. Spinoff S01, F
Trust Nelly’s Instincts S02, GN
D-o-n-e S02, GN
(Chronological List here if you prefer a tidy timeline)
Reader Requests
Oh heck yes, you can (Glenn x GN reader)
(One) Medical Exemption (Daryl x F reader)
Such a damned hassle... (Daryl x GN reader)
Guardian angel? (Daryl x F reader)
Simply one of those days (Daryl x F Fabulously Confident reader) *same story line as below*
Especially for an autobiography (Daryl x F Fabulously Confident reader) *same story line as above*
Dead Natural - Walking Dead/Supernatural Crossover - Have you ever had a nightmare that you couldn’t wake up from? One where you’re running for your life and you just want to stop and rest? Well, what if it became reality? What if you couldn’t wake up?
I saw 'Let It Shine' and the way Tyler James Williams looks at Coco Jones during the final song of the movie kinda made me want to write a fanfiction for NoahxReader!
Etsy! | Support My Blog | Coming Soon | Prompt Ideas
Rick:
It was on a hot August day that you were walking through Alexandria in booty shorts and a tank top as you went about your duties. You didn’t normally wear clothes that were so exposing but you were dripping in sweat so you were desperate. Rick was approaching you when he spotted Jessie’s son Ron staring at you from where he sat on their porch. He was very obviously looking at your ass and even had to readjust his shorts as he practically drooled over you across the street. He caught Rick’s eye when he got closer to you and Rick shot him a stern warning look, making the boy jump up and head inside. He wasn’t going to do more than that since he was just a teenager - even if he was creepy and untrustworthy - but he didn’t want you near him after that day.
Daryl:
He felt his blood boil when he saw Spencer ogling over you as he stood idly by the gate. The younger man wasn’t even attempting to hide the fact that he was checking you out. You were wearing short shorts and a T-shirt that was clung to your chest in sweat as you slaved over the crops. Daryl debated his next move until he saw you bend over and your ass nearly exposed. Spencer shifted where he leaned against the wall, licking his lips pervertedly and staring intently at you. “Hey!” Daryl shouts angrily, pointing his finger at Spencer as he walks past him in your direction, glaring as he walked. “Ya best watch yerself!” He warns before stalking over to you and helping you out, eager to get you back inside and into less revealing clothes.
Negan:
He felt his blood boil when he saw one of his Saviors eyeing you up and down as you helped to unload the truck. Normally Negan would avoid having you help out with any physical labor but you insisted on getting in on the action. His possessive streak became apparent when he quietly strode up behind the now blatantly staring Savior, arms full of crates as he eyed your ass. Negan planted Lucille down on the Savior’s shoulder heavily and the man yelped loudly, dropping the crate from his arms and hastily stepping away from your brooding boyfriend. “Next time I catch you staring at Y/N, your head will have a formal introduction with Lucille. Got it?” He growls. You roll your eyes and carry on unloading the truck with the others as the Savior scrambles to pick up his crates and get the hell away from Negan.
Shane:
It had become pretty apparent that Merle had grown fond of you, despite knowing very well that you and Shane were together. At first your boyfriend didn’t let it bother him - he knew he was much better than that dirty redneck - but his constant unashamed staring and flirting was getting under his skin. Today was no different - Merle was attempting to chat you up while you supervised Carl and Sophia swimming in the quarry. Normally Merle wouldn’t be down here for any reason, so when Shane spotted him as he came to bring you guys back, he knew exactly what the older man was doing. His fingers danced over his holstered gun as he strode over to the two of you, catching your eye as he walked. You took a step forward and placed your hand on his chest before he had the chance to begin scolding Merle, who snickered. “It’s fine, Shane.” You insist. He glares at Merle for a moment before calling for the kids and snaking his arm around your waist possessively. “Yer asking for it, Dixon.” Shane warns before heading off with you guys, ignoring the man’s comments as he walked away with you under his arm.
Merle:
He didn’t get too mad when people checked you out, because he knew that you were a fine ass girl and that everyone knew it. He only got mad when men would blatantly flirt with you in front of him, like in this scenario. Shane not only was coming onto you, but he was insulting him. So in classic Merle fashion, he suckered punched Shane and the two got into a big brawl that the camp had to break up. “You best not let me catch ya lookin at my woman again!” Merle shouted angrily over the shoulders of Glenn and Morales. Let’s just say he showed you who you belonged to that night.
Glenn:
He didn’t get overly mad when people flirted with you, given his rational nature. When he spotted Spencer eyeing you up while you were on the fence, he came up beside the man and cleared his throat, shooting him a knowing glare. Spencer got the message and walked away, leaving Glenn to smirk to himself and shoot you a wink when you made eye contact.
Jesus/Paul:
He also did not get very angry when people would check you out, given that he is rational and kind. When he spotted one of the new guys at Hilltop staring at you from where he sat with his plate of food, he felt a twang of possessiveness stir inside of him, but he resisted overreacting. Instead, Paul strutted past the man and came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing a kiss against your cheek, making eye contact with the guy as he did so. Your boyfriend may be rational, but he was also petty and possessive.
Tara:
She typically didn’t get too jealous when others would flirt with or check you out, knowing full well that you were only interested in her, but once in a while she would get bothered. When she got into those rarer moods, she would come up beside you and lean her head on your shoulder, seeking your affection and distract you from whoever was bothering you. She isn’t possessive or angry, she just likes the reassurance that you are only into her.
Abraham:
He could be petty, possessive and downright immature sometimes. When he saw another man hitting on you, he would strut on over and throw his large muscular arm over your shoulder, shooting a sarcastic remark at the man and making him uncomfortable until he walked away. Most of the time you found it funny and once the other man was gone he would chuckle at himself too.
Prompt: Daryl hears a man making vulgar comments about his girl
Warnings: Violence, crude comments about women, strong language
Word Count: 2087
Masterlist
Send Me A Request! | Support My Blog | Coming Soon
The day started off like most others. You were on watch this morning, having gotten up only a few hours after Daryl came to bed. Your shift began at dawn, relieving the night crew. You remembered that Daryl was supposed to go out to the bridge today to help with construction, mostly to keep an eye on everyone in Rick’s absence. He had to go down to the Sanctuary today, so Daryl was covering for him overseeing the bridge.
You left an apple on the bedside table and wrote a quick note beside it telling Daryl that you were on watch and that you’d see him in the afternoon. You hated not being able to see him much anymore, but you each had a lot of responsibilities to manage. Standing in the dim light, you lean over the bed to brush the hair out of Daryl’s face. You keep meaning to give him a little hair cut, just so that he could see better, but whenever you were able to see him it would completely slip your mind - too concerned with soaking up as much time with him as possible.
Your fingers brushed against his stubbly cheek ever so lightly, appreciating how peaceful he looked sleeping. He stirs a little, so you quickly retract your hand and move away to start heading out before you accidentally wake him up, but it’s too late. “Mmm?” He groans out, one eye peeking open as his hand comes up to snatch your hand from where you were pulling it away.
“Sorry,” You whisper, rubbing your thumb over the back of his warm, rough hand.
“Where’re ya goin’?” He questions, his deep voice so groggy that anyone else may have a hard time understanding what he said. You loved his sleepy voice, you found it adorable.
“I have to go on watch at the gate. Relieving the night shift.” You remind him, leaning down so that you are squatting beside him at the bed. He rolls over onto his side, his hand still enveloping yours, and opens his other eye to get a good look at you.
“M’kay,” He mutters, bringing your hand up to his mouth and placing a kiss on the back of it. “Be careful.” Daryl says, his piercing blue eyes meeting your own. A shy smile crawls up your face and you nod in the darkness, moving closer and placing a kiss on his stubble covered cheek.
“I’ll see you tonight, hon.” You promise, moving to stand up, but he doesn’t release your hand, keeping you down at his level. He sleepily lifts his head and brings his other hand up to the back of your head. You instinctively meet him halfway, capturing his soft lips in a slow kiss. His body heat radiates onto you, warming you up in a way only Daryl can. You pull away slowly, a frustrated whimper escaping your mouth as you lean your forehead on his. You miss him so much, you want to lay here beside him forever - but the sunlight beginning to creep through the window reminds you that duty calls.
You loved how Daryl would let his guard down and be more open when he was tired like this. He could be very affectionate in the mornings and nights, which was one of the only times that you go to see him anymore. You stand up from your spot and head out of the room, but not without one last glance at the love of your life.
Daryl’s morning was not off to a great start. He was exhausted from the night before, grumpy because he didn’t get to spend any time with you, and it was a cloudy and cold day. Everyone was getting on his nerves and he was practically counting down the minutes until he would be able to go back to Alexandria to see you.
One person in particular was seriously testing Daryl’s patience today - a former Savior, named Justin. He has been giving everyone attitude from the moment they began working, and Daryl has just about had it. He’d just finished helping Aaron with some boards for the base of the bridge when he heard something stick out to him. Your name. In Justin’s mouth. Daryl knew that Justin had tried hitting on you once before when you came to the bridge to help out, and he had warned him to stay away from you. Normally Daryl would have trusted you to handle the guy yourself, but seeing as he was a Savior, and he was being very pushy toward you, Daryl had stepped in.
He stands up from where he was crouched, brushing the dirt off of his gloves and wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, listening in on the conversation Justin was having with some other Savior.
“She’s a hot piece of ass. The things I’d do to Y/N if that asshole would let her out of his sight, I swear.” Justin remarks as he hammers at a nail unsuccessfully. The man beside him just scoffs.
“She’d never go for you, man.” He responds.
“Wouldn’t have to. Just need to get her alone.” Justin continues, a gross smirk on his face.
By this point, Aaron had taken notice and knew that shit was about to go down. The look on Daryl’s face was enough to warn the younger man that he needed to intervene, now.
“Hey!” Daryl shouts, beginning to make his way over to the two men, Aaron following close behind, saying that it wasn’t worth it, but Daryl was deaf to his words. Justin turns around to face Daryl, gross smirk faltering slightly, realization washing over his face. “The hell ya just say about her?!” Daryl growls, stepping very close in the guy’s space.
He says nothing, just glaring at Daryl, who is fuming. He practically said that he would force himself on you. “You gonna try to hurt my girl?” Daryl questions, his voice deep and angry, intense stare not faltering for even a second.
“Not hurt, just show her a good time. We all know she don’t get none from you.” Justin stupidly comments, tilting his head at Daryl.
“Ya touch her, ya even look at her, I’ll beat yer ass into the ground.” Daryl growls, staring directly into his eyes, not a hint of fear appeared on his face. He turns around to get back to work.
“No wonder you’re so pissy, she must not give a redneck like you much pussy. More for me, then!” Justin hollers cockily, throwing Daryl over the edge. He spins back around fast as lightning and punches Justin directly in the nose, sending him falling back onto a large pile of sand. Daryl grabs onto his collar and continuously punches him in the face, pummeling the arrogant man, until he manages to grab a fist full of the sand and toss it in Daryl’s eyes, stunning and blinding him.
Luckily for the Savior, Rick had just arrived at the bridge with Eugene and heard the commotion going on, immediately running up to the top of the bridge to check what was going on. He saw the fight and the mob of people surrounding the two men, infuriating and worrying him. He pushes his way through the crowd as fast as possible and throws himself in between the two men, attempting to deescalate the issue. “Hey! Break it up!” He hollers, doing his best to restrain Daryl from getting to Justin, who was very bloody and bruised. Daryl didn’t look so great either, but Justin had certainly lost the fight.
Daryl continues trying to shove past Rick to get to Justin, but he holds his ground, firmly keeping himself between the two. “Enough!” Rick hollers, throwing his arms out to hold Daryl back. Finally, Daryl backs off just a little, taking one step back and stalking back and forth, his eyes not tearing away from the man that was still standing. If Rick hadn’t stepped in he very well might have killed Justin. It’s not like he’d be missed, and after the comments that he made about Y/N, he deserved it. “Everyone get back to work. Now!” Rick commands to their audience.
Justin scrambles away defeated, keeping an eye on Daryl as he leaves. Daryl continues stalking, his breathing heavy and erratic as he stares at the man getting away with speaking about hurting Y/N. “What the hell happened?” Rick demands when he turns to face his friend. Daryl spits out some blood onto the ground and shifts his weight, too angry to speak. Aaron hesitantly approaches the two of them and begins explaining what he witnessed to Rick.
“He was jokin about forcin himself on her! Said he jus’ needa get her alone!” Daryl exclaims, waving his arm in the direction Justin scurried off. Rick puts a hand up to Daryl and nods his head, processing what he’s been told.
“Daryl, hey! Daryl. We will handle this. He’s never even around her, he was just looking to cause trouble-” Rick starts, but Daryl scoffs and throws his arm again, pacing around in an attempt to soothe his rage. “He’s met her one time. He’s never been to Alexandria. Daryl! Y/N can handle herself.” Rick argues, but Daryl will hear none of it.
“You think I don’t know that?! Don’t matter! What if he said that bout Michonne? Huh! That’s not the point!” Daryl hollers, pointing a finger at his friend.
It took a while but eventually, Rick managed to calm Daryl down and he sent him back to Alexandria early. Daryl took off on his motorcycle, speeding his way back to the community, more anxious than usual to see you. He just needed to see that you were safe. He knew that you were, but he just needed to see it.
He arrived back before the sun had set, which was certainly early for him. The gates opened and he looked up at who was on watch, a combination of relief and worry set in as he saw that you were not. Relief because it meant that maybe he’d have some time with you, but worry because he did not know where you were. “Hey! Ya know where Y/N is?” Daryl shouts up to Rosita at her post on the wall. She shrugs her shoulders and asks why, but Daryl ignores her and drives into the community.
He makes his way to your shared house hastily, anxious to see you. He was furious, you were the only one going to be able to calm him down. “Y/N?!” He hollers when he steps into the house. He hears a noise before you appear out from the kitchen, peeking around the corner at him, a grin appearing on your soft features.
“Hey, you’re back early!” You greet. Daryl doesn’t say anything, instead looking at you, taking you in. You’re okay, you’re happy, you’re with him. “What’s wrong?” You ask, your face falling at his odd behavior. He doesn’t speak again, just striding over to you and dropping his face on your shoulder, an arm falling loosely over your smaller frame. You immediately envelop him in a tight hug, not questioning his affection - sensing that he needs you right now.
He pulls his head up to look at you, his blue eyes burning into yours. “That savior - Justin - he was talkin bout ya.” He starts. You raise your eyebrows curiously, wondering why he was talking about you and why Daryl was so worked up over it.
“What do you mean?” You ask, trailing a hand down his muscular arm to comfort him. You can see he is angry and stressed.
“He said some shit... I was gonna break his mouth. Rick stopped me.” He explains.
“Oh Daryl, you don’t gotta worry about me.” You say, realization hitting you. “I only saw him a few times, I’d kick his ass if he bothered me. You know that.” You joke, trying to lighten his mood.
“I shoulda killed him.” He mutters. You reach your hands up to cup his cheeks and force him to look at you.
“He’s not worth it. I’m not afraid of some scrawny savior. He’s not worth your time, Daryl.” He doesn’t reply, only looking into your comforting eyes before nodding slightly. “Come on, let’s go take a nap.” You mutter, dropping your hands from his face to his arm and dragging him along to go back to bed.
