summary: usually the dead don’t protect humans, or so we thought.
warnings: zombie!reader, kinda angst, mentions of killing, established relationship, intentional age!gap though not mentioned, no use of y/n, unedited., physical violence, arguing, desperate!reader, yearning!reader, eventual smut as the fic goes on.
setting: alexandria (post-whisperers)
word count: 4.4k+
notes: i’m sorry if this actually sucks ass, i really wanted to get a chapter out for you guys and it’s currently 11pm right after my shift at work 😭. please don’t hate me for the scattered updates, striking is not fun.
credits: @tophollands inspired me to do this as they have a zombie!leon fic and we’ve established this theme would work well in twd. they were inspired by @quackysprouts zombie!leon art as well.
divider credit: @solitary-serendipity
ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙʟᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴜᴍᴇ
since the incident in the woods and back at home, daryl had kept his distance from you. it had been three days now, and every one of them had felt longer than the last— he didn't know what to do or say, or even how to think around you anymore. every time his mind drifted back to that night, guilt twisted in his stomach.
he felt embarrassed, ashamed even.
he felt as though he had taken advantage of you in your state without ever laying an implied hand upon your body.
how dare he?
how dare he take such care of you and do what was right by you, only to go ahead and jerk off to the picture of your dead naked body that had been engraved into his mind? his brain clearly hadn't been thinking before his dick and the realization ate away at him constantly.
it lingered when he brought you your clothes that night. it lingered when he helped slide his shirt over your head and your little spandex pajama shorts up your plush thighs. hell; it lingered every time he looked at you and remembered exactly what he'd done afterward.
he felt perverted in a way, never thinking this would've been an issue until then. the guilt settled heavily in his chest, making it difficult to separate his feelings for you from the shame he felt toward himself.
no matter how much he tried to justify it, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd crossed some invisible line, even if you were his girl.
so he left you alone.
it was the only way he knew how to handle the situation right now, or at least until his emotions were back in check.
he had even gone as far as telling michonne to keep more of an eye on you in his absence, convincing himself that it was what was best for both of you. but something deep inside him twisted like a serrated knife every hour that passed without seeing you.
every update he didn't receive left him restless.
every moment away from you felt wrong. but nonetheless, he powered through and got ready to leave with aaron to recruit new members for the community. it was his quote-unquote job, after all.
he tried to treat it like any other run, tried to act like nothing had happened— like you didn't exist, like you hadn't survived the whisperers, like he wasn't hiding one of the biggest secrets alexandria had ever seen.
all in the name of keeping you safe.
he had vowed to himself—and to you—that he would do anything in his power to keep you alive. but unfortunately, while daryl threw himself into work and distractions, you were left behind with nothing but your thoughts.
and without him, it felt like you were dying.
your emotions were out of sorts as you paced the small floor space of your cell, michonne staring at you the way a stressed mother looked at a child acting out.
you couldn't take it anymore.
cold hands reached up into your hair, tugging lightly at the roots as you groaned out in annoyance.
"you know, maybe it's good that you have a break. it's healthy." she tried to sound optimistic— you gave her credit for that, but it just wasn't helping. it felt as though a part of you was missing and your brain couldn't stop cycling through the same possibilities.
daryl: unsafe, hurt, alone.
you swore your heart was breaking. in response, you deadpanned at her and dropped your arms back to your sides.
"i know it's not what you want to hear, but it's what you'll have to learn to understand. he's safe. he's with aaron. you know aaron." she chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood.
michonne didn't know how to handle you the way daryl did. she wasn't used to navigating the complicated mess of emotions and instincts that made up your current state.
so all she could do was rely on her better judgment, even if it was failing her miserably right now. you ignored her and resumed pacing as the thoughts only grew louder.
daryl. unsafe. need to protect.
protect.
protect.
and there was one glaring issue, aaron wasn't you. you couldn't watch daryl's back from inside this cell, you couldn't be his hero, you couldn't keep him safe. the frustration climbed steadily until it felt unbearable.
"i can see the gears moving in your head through your eyes. relax. he'll be fine." she wasn't entirely wrong because the gears were moving, just not in the way she thought.
while she believed you were worrying yourself sick, you were actually trying to form a plan.
getting out of here was considerably harder in your walker-fied state, but eventually an idea began to take shape. to any normal person, it would've seemed full of holes.
but desperation rarely cared about logic.
and you were so, so desperate for daryl's attention that you would've gone to any lengths to get to him. the thought rooted itself deep in your mind until it became the only thing you could focus on— daryl wouldn't be fine unless you were out of your cage and by his side.
and that realization pissed you off the most. the thought rooted itself deep in your mind until it became the only thing you could focus on.
michonne could see it happening in real time.
she watched your hands begin to shake. watched your pacing come to an abrupt halt. watched the way your expression seemed to tighten as your thoughts spiraled further and further away from reason.
she didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to say. every attempt she'd made to calm you had only seemed to make things worse. before she could think of another approach, you started moving.
slowly at first, but then with purpose as you crossed the small distance toward the cell door and wrapped pale fingers around the metal bars. the moment your grip tightened, michonne's stomach sank.
you pulled, hard.
the entire door rattled beneath the force.
you wanted so badly to scream, to tell her exactly what was wrong, to explain that daryl was out there and vulnerable and needed you. but the words simply wouldn't come— they never did anymore.
all that escaped your throat were frustrated groans and distressed moans as you yanked harder on the bars, metal clanging loudly through the room. again and again and again.
your distress was obvious, your pain was obvious, and worst of all, your panic was turning into anger. yet even through the haze clouding your mind, one thing remained crystal clear. this was the only way. unfortunately, michonne seemed to realize exactly where your head was at.
"you're not coming out. daryl and i made that very clear." her voice lost some of its earlier sympathy as she pushed herself off the stool— the stool daryl practically lived on these days.
she approached the cell with long, determined strides. "it's not safe for you right now. people will find out." she stopped in front of the bars.
"and trust me, you don't want that." you shot her a glare, eyes narrowing as your jaw clenched tightly. the warning only made your frustration worse, face growing hot as your vision began to tunnel.
you were losing yourself— slipping further into that familiar haze where instinct became louder than thought. and there was nothing anyone besides daryl had ever been able to do about it.
your hands tightened around the bars, pulling again but this time harder— the hinges squealing and the metal rattling violently. the noise echoed through the room loudly enough that michonne glanced nervously toward the door. if anyone outside heard this...
everything would fall apart.
"stop that." she hissed the words and almost immediately her hand settled on the handle of her katana. the movement aggravated you even more as your eyes flicked down to the weapon.
how dare she? how dare she look at you like some threat when all you wanted was to protect daryl? how was that so difficult for everyone to understand? you shook your head.
no.
your vocalizations grew louder and more desperate, more frantic. the ache in your chest had become unbearable and your stomach twisted painfully as you continued pulling against the bars— every word michonne spoke seemed to slide right past you. for every passing minute, daryl could be getting hurt. for every passing minute, he could be alone. for every passing minute, he could need you.
and apparently michonne's emotions were beginning to get the better of her too, watching as her hand moved away from her sword and toward the ring of keys hanging from her belt loop. immediately, you stepped back and your muscles tensed; your hands flexing the same way you did while attacking the walker yesterday, the feeling itself all too familiar.
your body preparing itself before your brain could catch up, eyes remaining narrowed as you watched her approach and she slid a key into the lock, the click echoed loudly between you.
"now listen here." her voice rose as frustration finally broke through.
"i need to do what's right for my people. i cannot have you throwing a tantrum because daryl isn't here." the door swung open and you instinctively retreated another step, and then another as michonne stepped inside.
and this time she wasn't carrying a katana, she was drawing the knife from her leg holster. your eyes immediately locked onto it, every instinct inside you screamed danger.
"now since you won't listen to me, i'm going to have to take matters into my own hands." she exhaled sharply and her hands were shaking. whether from fear or guilt, you couldn't tell.
"daryl will forgive me later." she advanced slowly and carefully trying not to provoke you. unfortunately, it was already too late.
"we don't need an uproar in alexandria because a dead girl can't stay away from her boyfriend."
the words hurt. they hurt more than they should have, but the sting barely had time to settle before instinct took over. despite the haze clouding your mind, you immediately understood the danger. you saw the way she raised the knife, saw the blunt end aimed toward your skull.
and you knew exactly what was coming; she was trying to knock you out but you reacted before she could and the second she swung, you moved. the weapon missed and suddenly everything happened at once.
if you'd been in your right mind, maybe you'd have been shocked, maybe you'd have questioned how things had escalated this far, maybe you'd have stopped to wonder how your friend had become an opponent. but none of that mattered now. all you knew was that something stood between you and daryl and it needed to move.
you lunged forward, your hands grabbing her by waist and using your momentum, you dragged her down with you. the impact knocked the air from her lungs. before she could recover, you were already straddling her torso.
too fast, far too fast for michonne's liking.
one hand immediately locked around her wrist— the wrist holding the knife. you slammed it against the floor.
once, twice, three times.
again, again, and again until the blade finally slipped free— metal clattering across the concrete. your other hand found her throat and squeezed, hard.
michonne's eyes widened as she grabbed at your arm and fought against your grasp, struggling and thrashing in the process. but it wasn't enough, she hadn't seen what you were capable of yet, she hadn't watched you tear through walkers— hadn't seen what happened when your instincts took over.
and right now, your instincts were entirely focused on reaching daryl, finding daryl, protecting daryl. everything else came second.
despite the position she was in, michonne still fought hard beneath you. she was lucky, lucky that you weren't in the mindset to kill her.
"s-stop!" the word barely escaped her as your grip tightened harder.
"you d-don't know w-what you're doing!" her voice grew weaker, more strained, and her vision began to blur. little did she know that you believed the exact opposite. you knew exactly what you were doing, you were finding your way back to the person holding you together— the person keeping you anchored, keeping the haze at bay.
you could feel her pulse weakening beneath your palm, feel her movements slowing, feel the fight leaving her body. and eventually, her struggles stopped altogether as her body went limp.
the room fell silent for several seconds as you simply stared, waiting and watching to make sure she wasn’t going to get back up and stop you. but when she didn’t move, you finally released her and stood slowly to your wobbly feet— your chest still heaving and your hands still shaking while your thoughts were still consumed by a single objective.
daryl.
you stepped over michonne's unconscious body and moved toward the open door. somewhere deep in your memory, you recalled the hidden route daryl used when he got you beyond the walls not so long ago. it kept you unseen and the route kept you safe.
without another glance behind you, you shuffled into the hallway carefully and quietly with a newfound determination; because no one could have the chance to stop you now, and no one was going to keep you from getting to him.
that gut feeling you had turned out to be justified.
while you were sneaking your way out of alexandria, daryl was having a hard time convincing himself everything was fine.
he wished he had you with him, wished he hadn't spent the last day avoiding you, wished he could stop thinking about you long enough to focus on the task at hand. but unfortunately, the world rarely cared about what people wished for.
while him and aaron were searching a small two-level strip mall a few miles out, a horde had eventually passed through. a big one. far too big for two men to comfortably handle.
what started as a simple supply run quickly became a fight to stay alive and somewhere during the scramble for safety, daryl had fucked up his foot. he still wasn't entirely sure how it happened, one second he had been running and the next he had caught his boot on a piece of loose wiring hanging from the collapsed ceiling.
pain exploded through his leg as he stumbled and nearly went down— only barely managing to catch himself before the walkers behind him closed the distance.
now, limping through the abandoned building, he cursed himself for the mistake— but a part of him blamed the distraction on you. not because you had done anything wrong (because you hadn't, you weren't even there) but somehow you occupied every corner of his mind even when the task at hand was risky.
the further he got from alexandria, the worse it became, his thoughts constantly circled back to you. were you okay? were you improving? were you upset with him? did his absence hurt you as much as it hurt him?
the questions never stopped and the worst part was that he couldn't talk about any of it. not with aaron. not with anyone. nobody besides himself and michonne knew the truth, nobody knew you were still alive or at least as alive as someone in your condition could be. and daryl intended to keep it that way.
"how long d'ya think it'll be before they clear out?" aaron's voice finally broke through his thoughts, causing daryl to blink in realization— forcing himself back into the present.
his gaze shifted toward the other man standing by the door. "dunno." his answer was short and simple.
"could be hours. could be days."
"very reassuring, dixon." aaron chuckled nervously, his good hand rubbing the back of his neck before peeking outside once more.
daryl simply shrugged. "could be worse." with that, he lowered himself onto the dirty vinyl floor— before sitting though, he'd checked the door himself. the walkers had spread out some, not enough, but more than before. it should've been comforting: instead, the silence only made his thoughts louder.
a minute passed, then another. nothing but distant groans and the ringing in his ears. daryl huffed in annoyance. he felt like he needed something to focus on, anything besides you. but that was proving harder than expected because despite everything, all he wanted was to have you beside him. hell- being trapped in this shitty store wouldn't seem so bad if you were here too.
"daryl?" aaron's voice pulled him back again. "how're you holding up? after... y'know. everything." the question immediately put him on edge, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"m'fine." it came out quicker than intended, more defensive than he would've liked.
aaron visibly hesitated, carefully choosing his next words. "you know it's okay if you're not." he looked down briefly, “after losing eric, i still don't know what to do with myself sometimes."
guilt twisted sharply in daryl's chest, because aaron wasn't wrong. he was trying to help, trying to connect. trying to relate to the grief daryl was supposed to be feeling, but daryl wasn't grieving a death. he was hiding a miracle and somehow that felt even harder.
"yeah." he looked away and his voice lowered, "i get it."
"it is what it is. m'surviving." the lie tasted bitter, but thankfully aaron didn't push.
"well, if you ever need somebody to talk to, i'm your guy."
"yeah, okay—” a sudden snarl cut him off. both men's heads snapped toward the door. immediately, daryl was on his feet— his stomach dropping with an intense force. they'd found them again.
he grabbed his gear, his crossbow, and anything he could carry. "we need t'move.”, his voice hardened.
"they're headin' straight for us."
aaron didn't argue, but panic was already written across his face.
"we got enough space right now." daryl moved toward the door with a sense of precision, "we run for it."
the moment they stepped outside, everything went wrong though. another cluster of walkers had appeared directly in the path they needed to take.
"daryl!" aaron froze.
"what do we do?"
"fuck." for once, daryl genuinely didn't know. his eyes darted around, calculating, searching, thinking. then he spotted it, a staircase leading to the roof and on a dime an idea immediately formed. it was dangerous, and it was stupid, but possible and right now possible was all they had.
"you hide there." he pointed toward a kiosk.
"i'll lead 'em upstairs." aaron's eyes widened.
"daryl—"
"then you make a run for it." he continued, already planning three steps ahead.
"i'll use the rope in my bag."
"if you don't see me in twenty minutes, go home."
"i'm not leaving you."
"wasn't askin'." their eyes locked, the tension between them stretched for a moment before reality forced the decision. the walkers were getting closer and they didn't have time to argue anymore.
finally, aaron nodded. "fine."
the second he disappeared toward the kiosk, daryl moved— he yelled and clapped and drew every pair of dead eyes toward himself. dozens of walkers turned in his direction as one thought surfaced above all the others.
you.
if he died today what would happen to you? who would protect you? who would make sure nobody hurt you? who would understand you?
the thought nearly stopped him in his tracks, but there wasn't time, so he ran straight toward the roof access and straight toward the next disaster waiting for him.
by the time daryl finally limped around the building minutes later, his leg was screaming. the jump had been worse than expected. without the rope he'd thought he packed, he'd been forced to take the risk and now every step felt like fire shooting through his bones.
still he kept moving because aaron should've been waiting, because they needed to get home, because he needed to get back to you.
the moment he rounded the corner, relief was the first thing he expected to feel. instead, dread hit him like a freight train as he stopped dead in his tracks. his heart dropped and his entire body went cold.
carol stood several yards away, gun raised and aimed directly at—
you.
for a moment, daryl genuinely couldn't process what he was seeing. aaron had you restrained tightly in his arms as you were struggling and thrashing and growling, desperation evident in your sounds.
and carol was aiming a gun at your head.
everything seemed to tilt sideways, first the run, then his foot, then the jump, and now this. how had you even gotten here? how had you escaped?how had you found him?
questions flooded his brain faster than he could process them, but none of them mattered the second he saw carol cock the gun. panic slammed into him, pure, raw, absolute panic.
"no, don’t!" the scream ripped from his throat, every head turned toward him— yours included. and the second your eyes found him, some of the panic left your body— not all of it, but enough.
daryl was alive, he'd made it, and you found him. for a brief moment, everything else faded into the background. the gun, aaron's hold, carol's shouting. all of it. your entire focus narrowed to daryl— he was hurt, even from this distance you could see it. the way he favored one leg, the way his shoulders were tense, the way pain was etched across every line of his face.
your chest tightened painfully and somehow, that frightened you more than the gun pointed at your head.
"why not, daryl?" carol shouted, her voice snapped everyone's attention back to the situation at hand.
"she's a walker!" the gun trembled slightly in her grip. whether from anger, fear, or uncertainty, nobody could tell. but nonetheless daryl's heart hammered against his ribs. he knew carol, knew exactly how she thought. to her, this wasn't personal. this was survival, this was mercy.
this was putting down something she believed was already gone, but she was wrong. god, she was so fucking wrong.
"because she's still there!" daryl yelled back, his voice cracking with desperation. "she's in there!"
every word felt like a plea, not just for you, but for himself. for the secret he'd spent weeks protecting, for the impossible hope he'd refused to let die. "please." his breathing hitched.
"i'm beggin' ya, don't kill her." the words stunned everyone into silence, even carol because in all the years she'd known daryl she'd rarely ever heard him beg. and certainly not like this.
your eyes immediately locked onto him, his voice, his fear, his pain. it all crashed into you at once. you didn't fully understand the words, didn't fully understand the conversation happening around you, but you understood one thing.
daryl was scared and that alone made your own panic rise.
"how?" carol demanded, her eyes never leavinf you. "look at her, daryl." she gestured toward you with the gun as sadness crept into her voice.
"i'm sorry, but this is the right thing." she took a cautious step forward, "she's suffering."
"no she ain't!" daryl immediately fired back. his leg nearly gave out as he pushed himself forward. "she ain't like them!"
his hand reached for the crossbow strapped across his back, but pain shot through his injured leg. he hissed through clenched teeth but still, he kept moving. "she protected me!"
the confession slipped out before he could stop it and everyone froze. aaron, carol, even you.
"what?" aaron breathed but daryl ignored him as his eyes never left yours.
"she kills walkers." his voice shook, "she protects people." he swallowed hard.
"just let her go." for the first time, uncertainty flashed across carol's face because daryl believed what he was saying, he truly believed it. and that made the situation far more complicated than she'd first thought.
but before anyone could respond, another sound reached your ears. a sharp grunt, your head snapped toward daryl. he'd put weight on his injured leg. too much. pain flashed across his features and his balance faltered. the sight hit you like a punch to the chest.
everything else disappeared. the gun disappeared, the people disappeared, the arguments disappeared. all you could see was daryl hurting and it caused your breathing to became uneven, heavy, and erratic. the same feeling that had consumed you back in the cell began rising again.
your hands trembled, your vision narrowed, your chest felt impossibly tight, and then daryl cried out again. the sound tore through you and something snapped in complete.
your body reacted before your mind could. with a violent jerk, you threw your head backward, the back of your skull connected with aaron's face. hard enough that a sickening crack echoed through the air as aaron immediately released you with a yell— both hands flying to his nose.
you didn't hesitate; the second his grip loosened, you were moving. carol barely even had time to react because one moment the gun was aimed at your forehead and the next, your hand wrapped around the weapon as you ripped it free— using her own momentum against her, you yanked her downward.
carol stumbled and her eyes widened as you snarled; a deep, guttural sound that made everyone freeze. for one terrifying second, nobody knew what you were going to do.
not even daryl, but then— instead of turning the gun on anyone— you threw it, the weapon skidded across the pavement straight toward daryl.
everyone stared in confusion, as if they were stunned too. because that wasn't what a walker would do— you weren't trying to attack, weren't trying to kill, you were in fact protecting.
your eyes immediately returned to daryl, making sure he was okay, making sure he could defend himself, making sure nobody could hurt him.
the realization settled heavily over the group.
especially carol.
especially aaron.
slowly, painfully, daryl pushed himself upright, using his crossbow as a makeshift crutch. his chest rose and fell rapidly as the adrenaline still coursed through him.
but despite everything— the chaos and the danger, despite the fact that his entire secret had just exploded in front of two people he trusted—
relief washed through him.
because you were alive, you weren't hurt, and carol hadn't pulled the trigger. but then reality came crashing back as his eyes shifted between carol and aaron.
both of them staring at you, both of them staring at him as if waiting and as if they were silently demanding answers.
and daryl immediately knew one thing.
now that the cat was out of the bag, they had a whole new problem on their hands.
T A G L I S T: @whore4fictionalmen19 @zamadness @clussysposts @magz3strikes @holdmytesseract @leslierabbit
Summary: You get way too much unwanted attention from Shane. He takes it too far - but the man you harbour feelings for is here to put the former police man in his place.
Warnings: Trigger warning! Shane – he's a huge warning here, lots of swear words and cussing, angst? Shane trying to get in Reader's pants without her wanting it, harassment, Shane getting kinda physical, PROTECTIVE!DARYL, fluff, idiots in love, mentions of Daryl's abusive past, a fight, blood, mentions of walkers
Set in Season 2!
Word Count: 3,7k
a/n: Woke up one morning a few days - weeks? ago, had this idea and brain was like: Write that down. So, I did. Turns out that this is probably one of my favourite stories I ever wrote.
°☆• discover more... •☆°
"Ya been sittin' here 'n just starin' at me fer fuckin' forever. Wha' is it? Know there's sum'thin' ya wanna talk about." You blinked; eyes lifting to look at Daryl sitting across from you. Only the small campfire between the both of you. He was occupied with carving some kind of spear or more likely a spit out of a thicker branch to grill the fish he had angled in the river earlier.
Ever since the archer had shut himself off quite a little from the group - from the farm, and camped outside of the Greene property, you found yourself way more often out here than close to the others as well.
Logically.
Yes, you missed Daryl and his presence.
Yes, you enjoyed his company more than probably everyone else.
Yes, you felt safer with him than with the group.
And yes, you might've caught feelings for the 'rough and tough' redneck.
However, the main reason you spent most of the time up here was another. The one that got you staring rather absentmindedly at the man sitting across from you...
You swallowed at Daryl's words; taking a deep breath and just watched him work the branch with his knife for another moment before you finally spoke up - for the first time since you came here. "It's just... Shane..." As the name of the former cop left your lips, Daryl froze in his movements - knife stopping mid slice. His blue eyes snapped up to meet yours; darkened, dangerous and almost angry - not at you, though. "Tha' asshole say sum'thin' to ya again?" Daryl asked with a deep growl.
It was no secret that the archer didn't really like Shane. He honestly never did. The little respect he had for him flew right out of the window after his first proper search for Sophia. Shane was aggressive, acted rash and the only ones he really cared about were Carl and Lori. The others? He didn't give a shit. Just like about Otis. Daryl was almost sure he sacrificed him at that school. He would sacrifice everyone for 'his family' - even his best friend. Daryl wasn't stupid. He was good at reading people. Dale knew it as well.
"Did he touch ya?" He questioned further; voice dropping another octave. You shook your head. "N-No, no... Not... yet. He just..." "Those stupid comments 'n all tha' shit?" You nodded.
Daryl knew. You had often told him about this. Silent complaints. Seeking help. Despite Shane's quite 'obvious' undying love for Lori, he liked to hit on other women. Especially you - as it seemed. He had often attempted to try and get inside your pants. It had started 'harmless'. Little comments here and there. Flirtations. Talks. His intentions had been clear right away - and you had told him 'No' from the very start. Shane wasn't the man you craved or wanted physical touch with.
Things escalated more and more - and now that Daryl wasn't around the farm anymore to send Shane a threatening glare from time to time, it seemed like the former police man used this current situation to his 'advantage'.
"Not just comments anymore, though... He... He often tries to... corner me. Like... against a wall, o-or tree, o-or even the henhouse yesterday as I got eggs for Patricia to cook. I feel like it gets w-worse and..." You paused for a heartbeat to swallow hard; fingers fumbling nervously. "...I don't know how, uh, long I'll be able to... escape this."
Daryl got what you meant. Of course, he did. His jaw ticked; muscles tightening. "Tha' son of a bitch," he literally growled; one hand squeezing the branch tighter - before he threw the piece of wood and his knife to the grassy ground beside him. Within the blink of an eye he was on his feet. "Gonna tell tha' piece 'a shit a few words. Ask 'im if he's deaf or jus' stupid 'cause he ain't understanding what 'No' means," he grumbles; already starting to march away before you could even react or speak up. "Yer gonna stay here. Keep an eye on tha' fire."
All you could do was watch him stomp away and mumble a quiet "'Kay."; eyes following him. You didn't intend to stop him. Daryl was your safe space. The only one - besides probably Dale who had the balls to confront him. And you wanted this shit to end. Therefore, you let Daryl do his thing. You just hoped it wasn't going to escalate. Both men with a temper and not the longest fuse. Both men hot-headed.
So, you sat there - at Daryl's little campfire. A little shaken up and nervous, but kept an eye on the fire like he told you. Watching the flames dance in the warm late summer air with the slowly darkening sky above you had something utterly calming. Almost hypnotic. Yet, your mind stayed sharp. You weren't behind safe walls or fences... A geek could stumble across here anytime.
You didn't know exactly how much time passed before you saw Daryl approaching the little camp again, but it certainly wasn't that much. Your eyes scanned him from tip to toe as soon as you recognised his frame in the distance; checking if he was okay. It seemed like it.
Wordlessly, but with a signature grunt, the archer sat across from you again and picked up his task where he left off.
You blinked; eyes still on him for another quiet moment. That was is? No words, just a grunt?
"What, uh, did he say?" You asked after another beat of silence; carefully and in a quieter voice than usual. Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "Ain't much. Told him 't keep his wandering hands off 'a ya. Gave 'im a last warning 'n left."
You knew exactly that Daryl was most likely describing this confrontation more friendly than it actually played out; not wanting to put you through this shit.
"Okay," you mumbled and offered him a soft smile. "Thank you."
Daryl being Daryl, said nothing in return and just gave you a nod and another grunt.
Silence spread between you two then. It wasn't uncomfortable or unpleasant, just thoughtful but actually nice. Most of the times, you didn't need words to communicate with Daryl anyway. You got his body language; could read him most of the times - even if you didn't know why. The chemistry between the both of you just seemed to click.
He handed you the spear he just carved, broke another branch over his knee and carved another spear. You watched him work; his survival skills remarkable. You didn't know him long but you did know that he was made for this world. Probably one of the few people for whom the apocalypse was a blessing.
Once he was done, he handed you one of the gutted fishes he had caught.
Dinner.
He always looked out for you. Silently. Made sure you ate enough, got weapons on you and so on. It never was a huge gesture or words. Small things. Quiet things. That's how he showed you he cared. His love language.
Together, you cooked the fishes over the fire and ate together; with the sun sinking deeper and deeper beyond the horizon.
"Daryl?" You spoke his name quietly; still watching the dying flames dance and flicker - casting shadows on his handsome features. The archer's eyes snapped up to focus on you again - a silent answer.
"Can I... sleep with you tonight?"
His blue orbs widened to the size of plates - and you realized how easy it was to misunderstand the sentence you just dropped.
"I-I mean in your tent! Here! Not alone at the camp w-with the others!" You instantly corrected; kinda backtracking.
Nevertheless, the damage was done - at least for Daryl. He stood up quickly and turned his back to you; occupying himself with anything - just so that his flustered self didn't have to look into your eyes at the moment. He was blushing. Hard.
You silently watched him move across his camp; 'cleaning' up and avoiding eye contact. Shit, you thought. I screwed it up. Your brain already came up with a trillion different apologies; wanting to repair what you had destroyed - but then...
"Ya comin' or wha'?"
You blinked and looked up at Daryl again; seeing how he held back the flap of his tent for you to crawl in. A smile crossed your face and you stood up; stepping past the dying campfire and inside the tent. "Thought I crossed a border. Thought I was making you uncomfortable. Don't want that. Ever." You received a low grunt in return, followed by the sound of the zipper being shut before he turned on his knees to face you again - head ducked, chewing nervously on the pad of his thumb and shrugged his shoulder. "Didn't say tha'...," the archer retorted in a low, quiet voice.
You just gave him another soft smile; deciding to drop this 'topic' before you'd really make him feel uncomfortable. "'Kay. Thanks for letting me sleep here. I just... I don't wanna see Shane again today or cross his path." The man across you gave you an understanding nod. He got it. Of course, he did.
You slept way better that night than any night before; knowing that no geek and no Shane could harm you here. You were at the safest place on this world - with Daryl. Not yet in his arms, but that would hopefully change someday...
Barely a few days later - on another quite hot evening in late summer, Daryl made his way through the high grass of the meadow to reach the Greene farm. He wanted to check in on Carol - subtly, of course. He cared about her a lot as well - but he'd never admit that out loud.
His senses were sharpened, of course. They always were nowadays; blue eyes scanning is surroundings, one hand resting on the knife attached to his belt. No crossbow, but never unarmed.
Daryl was still a few yards from campsite when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He shifted his gaze. Two frames behind - or well, for him in front of the barn. He stopped; alerted and narrowed his eyes a bit with his hand on his forehead to shield his blues from the sinking sun. No walkers, that was certain.
But who then?
His feet picked up their task again and brought him forward. The closer he got, the clearer the shapes became - and once he recognised the people, his attention got drawn even more... He could clearly make out your frame - and a bigger one. Shaved head, no beard, tall and broad. Shane - and the archer's temper kicked in. Steps quickening.
He analyzed the scene playing out in front of his eyes and quickly realised what was happening; connecting the dots. You and Shane were clearly arguing - and he had gotten physical; hands on your wrists. He had cornered you again; shoven back against the wooden wall of the barn.
A huge wave of anger rolled over the archer. He had told Shane - warned him, and now he had enough.
His pace quickened again. By now he was running the last few yards separating him from you and the former policeman; hopping over the fences and any other obstacle in his way. Daryl was determined - and before Shane could even turn around to see what was awaiting him, he got roughly pulled back from the archer - away from you.
Your fearful eyes met Daryl's - and he could visibly see how you instantly relaxed at least a little; pure thankfulness and relief mirrored in your Y/E/C orbs.
The moment you and the archer shared, gave Shane just enough time to recover... "What the hell, man?!" He barked at Daryl - who instantly instinctively changed his position to stand in front of you like a human protective shield. "What do ya think you're doing, huh?" Shane continued; glaring. "Could ask ya the same," Daryl growled back. You stayed silent; too shaken up to speak. This time was very close... "Told ya to leave 'er alone." Shane huffed out a laugh. "You ain't her boyfriend, man."
Daryl scoffed. What a ridiculous thing to say... As if this would have to do anything at all with that. Bad attempt at talking his pathetic ass outta this, the archer thought.
"Ain't hafta be her boyfriend 't know how 't treat 'n respect a woman right and know wha' a fuckin' 'no' means."
Shane scoffed as well and ran a hand over his bald shaved head.
"No, huh? You don't see how she's lookin' at me. Playin' all coy and shy every time I make a move but I know she wants me."
Daryl shook his head; knowing exactly that this was nothing but delusion and wishful thinking. You wouldn't have come to him so many times - desperate and afraid; literally fleeing from campsite if you would really want this, too.
"She dun wanna have yer dick. She ain't Lori, asshole - or are ya delusional? Can't tell the difference anymore 'cause yer obsessed."
That was it. The moment things were going to escalate between those two hot-heads. Daryl knew it. Shane knew it. And you knew it as well.
The former police man huffed out another laugh; ran his hand over his head again - before he lunged at Daryl. The archer - a 'professional' when it came to brawls - ducked Shane's attempt and started an attack himself. His fist connected with his jaw; sending him tumbling back a few steps.
Daryl did that a lot in his past. Brawling. Fighting. Especially with a brother like Merle and an abusive father. He knew how to fight.
Shane needed a short moment to recover; blood dripping from his lip where it split due to the impact. A look that could kill darted across his face, before he lunged at Daryl again.
And you? You just watched; still frozen in place like a frightened bunny. You didn't know what to do. Intervening could end painful - and words wouldn't stop them.
The noise of the fight, though, attracted the attention of the other group members. It didn't take long for most of them to come running over to the barn as well; the men instantly working to separate Shane and Daryl.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Yelled Rick; pulling his 'best friend' together away together with T-Dog. Glenn and Dale working on Daryl. "What is going on here, huh?!" Rick asked - eyeing his friend and the archer, as they were finally apart; everyone panting hard.
Daryl ripped himself free from Glenn's and Dale's grasp to wipe his bloody hand on his shirt with the torn off sleeves; spitting out a little blood. "Warned ya. Told ya I was gonna beat yer ass into the ground if ya touchin' 'er again!" He growled at Shane; pointing at him. Rick instantly connected the dots; realising that this must be about you. His eyes found you - still a little shaken up. "Y/N?" Rick's voice grabbed your attention. "Can you tell me what's been goin' on here?"
You swallowed hard and opened your mouth to voice what - or well, who, has been bothering you since weeks - but then you felt it... The gazes of the others. All group members had their eyes on you - except Daryl, who kept on glaring at Shane. Sure, most of these gazes were sympathetic and concerned, but for you highly discomforting. You felt cornered again - in a different way.
"I-I-I..." You started; stammering and overwhelmed. Your body told you to run. To escape this situation. So, you did. "S-Sorry," was all you said before you turned your back and fled.
Daryl fought the urge to follow you - although that he knew you probably needed a moment alone. First, he had to step up for you, though. And he did - without hesitation. "Been hittin' on Y/N. Constantly cornerin' her 'n tryin' to get inside 'er pants," Daryl growled; explaining what he had been trying to protect you from. Rick turned to his best friend. "Shane? That the truth?" The accused man huffed out another laugh and shook his head. "C'mon, man. You know that I'd never do that." "Bullshit!" Daryl cut in immediately. "Ya'd take advantage 'a 'er without even thinkin' twice. Prolly already would've if it wasn't fer me!" The archer wanted to take a step closer, but got instantly held back by Glenn and Dale.
Rick's eyes wandered again from Daryl to Shane, while the others just held their breaths; shocked and probably too afraid to just cut into this conflict without having witnessed anything.
At the look the police officer threw his former colleague, he once again ran a head over his shaved head. "Really, Rick? You're gonna believe this obscure redneck more than me?" Rick clenched his jaw. "No, I didn't say that, Shane. I'm just tryin' to understand both sides and-"
Daryl had already heard enough again. This was pointless. Like he said before... This group was broken. Another reason why he had closed himself off.
"This shit's pointless," the archer cut the leader off mid-sentence and just started to stomp away; exiting the scene as well - but not without having a last few words for Shane. "Next time ya try anythin', it ain't gonna stay with jus' a fat lip." He threw another warning/threat Shane's way - hoping that he finally learned his lesson now. Especially now that the others caught wind of this as well.
The archer made his way back to his little camp; holding out for you, though. He didn't see you somewhere outside the farm - what calmed him; knowing that you were most likely out of danger and somewhere safe. The bright and shiny moon had replaced the sun by now almost entirely as Daryl zipped open the flap of his tent. With a grunt he crawled inside - only to find nobody else than you sitting on his bedroll; hugging your knees to your chest and with dried tears on your cheeks.
"Y/N." His name rolled so effortlessly over his lips; making you shiver - in a good way. "S-Sorry... I didn't know where to go, s-so I just came here..." You said; sniveling. Daryl shrugged his shoulders and turned again to zip the tent shut. "'S a'right. I dun mind." You gave him a soft smile and a thankful look. He nodded in return and just... looked at you for another moment, before he shuffled awkwardly and started to 'clean up' a little. A.k.a making space for you so you could stay the night. Daryl wasn't sure what to do. If he should ask how you were or not. If you needed something or not. He didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. He was very uncertain, so he rather occupied himself with something else than letting you know.
You watched the archer 'work' for a few moments in silence, until your gaze landed coincidentally on his hands. With shock you realised that he was hurt. His knuckles were stained with blood. Some dried, but still seeping a little. "Daryl..." You spoke his name, catching instantly his attention. His head snapped up to face you.
"Yah?"
You moved, inched slowly closer to him. "Y-You're bleeding..." You whispered and cautiously reached for his hurt hand to inspect the damage - but giving him enough time to pull his hand away in case he didn't want the touch. He didn't. The archer was like rooted to the ground; holding his breath as your gentle fingers brushed his skin.
Physical touch wasn't easy for him - after all the bullshit he had been through in his childhood and youth. He had learned the physical contact mostly caused pain. But this... This was different. So fucking different from what he knew.
"Y-You split your knuckles... Do you have a first aid kit or something? Anything to treat the wounds?" Daryl blinked; ripped out of his thoughts. His blues met your Y/E/C. "Yeah, over-" His voice cracked. He tried again. "Over there." You followed the jut of his hand, gently let go of his hand to gather the first aid kit, only to return a few moments later to hold his hand again. "Sit. L-Let me help you."
Wordlessy, the man sat down on the bedroll beside you and letting you treat his split knuckles. And admittedly, Daryl had a hard time coping with this situation. Coping with so much... tenderness and gentleness. It was unknown territory - but it felt... right.
"There we go..." You said; tying the bandage around his hand, then shook your head. "Didn't want you to get hurt because of me..." You added in a quiet voice; blaming Shane but also yourself.
Daryl instantly shook his head; getting his shit together again. "Ain't yer fault. Asshole had it comin'. Deserved it. This ain't nothing," he gestured at his knuckles. "Gonna heal quickly. Had worse."
You sighed, "Yes, but... I don't know. Feeling guilty anyways." and without thinking leaned your head against his shoulder; arms and thighs brushing. You and Daryl had been close - but never this close before.
The archer froze once again; brain going blank for at least a solid minute as he tried to comprehend what was going on.
His skin was warm; biceps slightly sweaty but radiating nothing but warmth and comfort. Your eyes slipped shut. This felt so right. You never wanted to leave Daryl's side. Since he didn't shove you away, you thought he felt the same - or at least similar. Nevertheless remained a quiet voice of doubt.
But then something you couldn't quite foresee happened... Slowly, quietly, the archer wrapped his arm around your shoulders; big, work worn hand resting gently on your upper arm. The 'sudden' touch sent another shiver down your spine.
"Ya okay?" His voice deep and concerned, yet soft and caring. You started to smile and nodded, before you shyly reached for his free hand to loosely intertwine your fingers. "Now I am."
okok, could you do something .. rick/daryl/fem reader. (computa..)
basically poly relationship, but when they’re in bed rick’s always the sweet one, praising her, being gentle, etc+
meanwhile daryl’s the complete opposite, if u pick up what im putting down 😉, also your work is absolutely amazing!
ouuhhhhhh thanks anon!!! i have never done anything like this before but i could cook now that i have some days off of work 🤗🤗 we will see what i can do!!
The Protect series is like The zombie song by Stephanie Mabey because of how the Reader is acting a bit protective of Daryl whenever someone is close to him like oh mAh gawd it's to die for!
YESSSSSS!!!
i really enjoy writing in the way that makes reader seem like guard dog at times… i love the trope and that’s what inspired me to make the series too.
i think that reader just loves her man and wants him safe, it’s like when she turned all she wants to do is keep him safe— not caring for anything or anyone else. like for example; if michonne were to be in danger i don’t think reader would be inclined to protect her opposed to if daryl was in danger she’d risk being devoured by a herd to safe him.
i have too many ideas for the storyline that it almost seems like it’s just different little stories in one series, which makes me feel better because tbh i don’t have a set storyline (writing series is not my forte).
i really appreciate the feedback and positivity! it’s what keeps me going with the whole writing thing :) can’t wait to finish and post part 5!!!!
summary: usually the dead don’t protect humans, or so we thought.
warnings: zombie!reader, mentions of blood, kinda angst, killing, established relationship, intentional age!gap though not mentioned. no use of y/n. unedited. pilot, but eventual smut as the fic goes on. emotional/sexual yearning daryl, m!masturbation, cop-a-feel ;)
setting: alexandria (post-whisperers)
word count: 2.5k
notes: thank you to @clussysposts for the ideas and inspo 🫶🏼
credits: @tophollands inspired me to do this as they have a zombie!leon fic and we’ve established this theme would work well in twd. they were inspired by @quackysprouts zombie!leon art as well.
divider credit: @solitary-serendipity
ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙʟᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴜᴍᴇ
once daryl had successfully brought you back to alexandria he began gathering the necessities to clean you up, bring you to your designated cell first. he'd never get used to the anxiety that coursed through him having you here and locked away like an animal, because if he had it his way you'd be home with him.
you didn't deserve to be locked up the rest of your life for something that you had no control over. and quite frankly; it was still you in there, deep down in the subconscious space of your mind. more things shone through than others, but the way you looked at him and comforted him— even the way you kissed him —made him believe that he still had his girl.
as he was on his way back to the cells he ran into michonne and filled her in on his discoveries and what had happened with the walker. it was something that shocked her too, that made her wonder if it was a good idea in the first place to bring you out behind the walls anymore.
but despite everything daryl said it was beneficial. having seen you in the state he did was something to be noted, could be useful against anything and anyone.
of course that peaked michonne's interest. anything to do with protecting her people, her kids even, she was all ears. and if that meant that you got to stay here with everyone and figure life out as you were now, then daryl would be damned for stopping it.
"sweetheart? m'back." he announced as he stomped down the steps to your new 'home'. you immediately stood up from the cot and made your way to the barred door, reaching through to grasp at him while whining like he'd been gone forever. it made him chuckle lightly, setting down the tub of warm water and wash clothes before opening the door and ushering you out.
you hummed as his hand brushed your lower back, guiding you to sit on the stool that he'd been perched on the past week as he guarded you with his life.
"gonna get ya cleaned up now, let me know if anything's uncomfy..." he trailed off as you nodded, head tilting as you took in the sudden nervousness that he gave off.
daryl was never nervous or anxious to see you naked. if anything he encouraged you to walk around the house naked, or at least just in your underwear with one of his shirts. he loved touching you're bare skin, being able to see your ass peaking out from the cotton fabric that fit you nearly like a dress. but that was before— this was now.
it felt almost wrong. felt as though he should call michonne or even carol in to help (though his best friend didn't know about you yet), because he didn't know how he'd fair— seeing you naked is one thing, but now you're different. your once olive-like complexion, thanks to the virginia sun, was now so pale that he swore you'd blend with the snow in a couple months.
all of the conflicting feelings that were swirling through his head like a storm made his hands shake and his mind draw blanks. taking one look at you, he knew that you knew he was feeling that way. you're eyebrows furrowed as you reached forward gently to grab his hands, guiding them to the hem of your shirt. you didn't realize that this was what he was nervous about.
you thought he was nervous about cleaning the walker blood off, like he was scared of you, even though he made it clear he wasn't. you couldn't help it in your recessed mind.
"hmmm." you hummed at him, tugging his wrists gently as if to pull him free of the confines in his brain. the only thing that you wanted was for him to give you attention, to make you clean again. and your confusion was slowly turning into frustration— like the dots in between weren't connecting. because at the end of the day, you and daryl were on differing waves.
"i'm sorry... m'just nervous is all— maybe i'll grab micho-" he stuttered hard, something that daryl just didn't do. not until now at least. never in his life had he become an anxious pile of mush, and it was beyond any type of emotion he could ever feel. but before he could finish speaking you growled loudly, like his words pissed you off.
you knew how to agree or disagree still, that didn't change.
you shook your head with fervour, grip tightening on his wrists so tight he swore it would leave marks. he hissed gently, eyes widening slightly at your sudden outburst— because you didn't want michonne or carol or anyone else for that matter, you wanted him. his attention was all that mattered to you.
you felt as though you were reincarnated to protect him and him alone. he was your person, therefore he was the only one allowed to help you in return. the only thing you thought about day in and day out was him, if he was safe or not.
"okay, okay! christ— i'll do it, m'sorry sweet girl." and like a flip had switched in an instant, your eyes lit up again and you're tight expression turned loose with a smile. a stark contrast in emotional intelligence, but maybe that was part of the turning as well. at this point the hunter felt as though he should find a notebook dedicated to his findings with you.
without anymore thought, daryl pulled the hem of your shirt up until the fabric slipped over your head and arms— exposing the cadaverous skin of your bare chest to his eyes, something he'd never get used to seeing. his face flushed as he stared at your breasts for a moment, quickly adverting his gaze to your shirt in his hands with a blush crawling to his cheekbones.
thinking you did something to make him uncomfortable you quickly bring your arms up to cover your chest and whimper like a kicked puppy. daryl knew what it may have looked like to you, having his hands pull quickly from you and his gaze to deter away from you as well. he was starting to catch on to your new mannerisms.
"sweetheart it's not like that. don't gotta be upset, s'just yer still my woman and i feel that i shouldn' be lookin' at ya like that." he huffed out, surprising himself that he didn't stutter like an idiot as he confessed to you. your head only turned to the side, brows furrowing in confusion.
“this is why i suggested bringin’ michonne in, i don’t think i can do this… professionally?” was that the word to use right now? he didn’t know for sure, but god; if he couldn’t control his dick now that you were in such a vulnerable state he’d feel like the worlds worst boyfriend ever. he’d just hoped you understood the words he was trying to give way.
so he watched your face carefully, watching it contort from confusing to sadness to realization. your arms dropped from your chest and hands smacked against your thighs as you groaned out with a displeased tone. you only wanted daryl to do this, not someone else. and you couldn’t understand why he was being so stubborn about it. it made you angry, but you didn’t know how to show it to him.
maybe by touch he’d understand that you were comfortable with him here? an idea had formed too quickly in your mind as you stood off the chair and stepped towards daryl, reaching quickly to grab both his hands in both of yours only to bring them up to your chest— allowing him to hold your breasts, making his breath catch so hard you could basically hear his lungs stop just by expression alone.
and then you smiled at him again, the only way you knew how to confirm you were okay. he’d be lying if his dick wasn’t twitching in his jeans right now, but nonetheless he gave the tiniest of smiles back.
“mm.” you hummed in content, a soft giggle like noise leaving your lips as daryl was trying to keep his composure— the growing tent in his pants not helping any. he’s lucky that you didn’t notice, he didn’t feel like explaining it to you and feeling the shame that came with getting a boner for his walker-fied girlfriend.
“as much as i’d love to stay in this situation sweet thing, ya still got blood all over ya. if ya insist on having only me then let’s get this done fast, yeah?” with that, he released your chest and allowed you to sit back down so he could use a soft washcloth and now room temperature water to help ease the dried blood off of your skin.
you seemed beyond serene as your breathing slowed, limbs relaxing into daryl’s touch. he grounded you more than he knew, his presence being enough in itself to keep you sane. it was a bonus that his hands were all over you— craving nothing but him as your brain went numb. small little moans we’re heard falling from your mouth as he scrubbed your skin clean.
“enjoying yerself?” he questioned, voice low as he soaked in every sound you made— vibrations shooting straight to the raging boner he had in his pants. it was inevitable that this happened to him, but he didn’t think it would be so soon. daryl prides himself in his ability to control his emotions but when it came to you it was a different story.
nonetheless you hummed in agreement, groaning softly as your eyes made contact with his in a way that he took as too sultry— evident in your squinted eyes and your pursed lips.
“that’s good, nearly done.” he trailed off, mostly to himself as he wiped the last bit of dried blood from your face and chest, leaving a light flush on your skin. he didn't want to read into that either, mostly just in a rush to finish and help himself out after. his poor dick was beginning to hurt and you remained ever-so-clueless to the matter.
"there ya go sweetheart, all clean."
daryl's words made you smile and bounce in your seat lightly, excited to be rid of the muck that coated your skin and that made him upset. it was like a new beginning for you and you were just so happy that you couldn't contain it. but the hunter couldn't focus on that— no, only thing he can focus on is your breasts bouncing along with you.
even when you stood up and gave him a hug was it the only thing he could think about. and here he was thinking he could stay strong for the sake of you— the close proximity didn't help the fact that he was trying to hide it, but now he knew that you felt his love for you in the form of a rock-hard-on in his jeans.
he all too quickly pushed you back slightly and just smiled at you, partially so you didn't get upset at the lose of contact with him. "how 'bout we put this towel on ya for now, i'll go grab a new shirt for ya." it was his excuse to help himself, not being able to contain it anymore as he turned to pick up the bucket holding bloody water— and to tuck himself so no one else sees.
you pouted at the fact he was leaving, but all together you obliged as he passed you the soft terry cloth so you could cover yourself once and for all tonight. once you did so, you quickly pulled at his shirt as if asking for the one off of his back.
"baby, i'll grab ya one of mine— promise. just stay put."
and with that he left in a rush, leaving you so utterly confused that all you could do was stand exactly where he told you to stay put. on the other hand, daryl was finally able to sigh in relief as he dumped the water onto the grass and threw the container off to the side— practically running back to your shared house to finally wrap his hand around himself and feel any type of release.
the guilt was there, of course it was, but what trumped that in the moment was the fact that you pulled his hands to your perfect tits and allowed him to cop a feel without any sexual intention— though of course he was just a man at the end of the day, and he had urges. it had also been a little over a week since you'd turned.
the angel and devil in his shoulders were internally battling as he slammed his front door shot, running up to the bedroom, stripping out of his jeans and underwear so his dick can finally be free from the too-tight confines. he sighed out in content as he finally spat into his hand while sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapping a big and rough hand around himself and pumping in a suddenly fast motion.
he'd never felt so desperate to cum in his entire life leading up the this moment now, he didn't even care to string it out. his fist was moving at a rapid pace for what was only 5 minutes before he was shooting thick white ropes into his palm. he felt pathetic, like he didn't know what to do with himself now.
all he could do was pray that he could control himself from here on out, if you must insist he did everything for you.
or he could pray that maybe one day, he'd feel you again.
yeah— one day.
T A G L I S T: @whore4fictionalmen19 @zamadness @clussysposts @magz3strikes @holdmytesseract @leslierabbit
summary: a storm got you stuck at a store with your ex-boyfriend for longer than you both could bare to hold your pushed back desires
warnings/tropes: forced proximity, swearing, unprotected sex, sex on a public¿space (or used to be), no use of y/n
The whole situation just fucking sucked. The infirmary was short on meds, the group sent you and Daryl on a quick run to get more for Denise. You were supposed to get back in no time, you were the best ones out of the group, could be trusted with a toothpick as your weapon and would still make it out alive. But of course your luck would get you stuck on a store in the middle of nowhere, and your only company would be your grumpy ex.
You and Daryl didn't end things on the best terms, you'd both ended up hurt and had trouble getting back on your feet after the breakup. Since then, each of you had your own spot in Alexandria, and hung out mostly with a different group each, avoiding eachother in every circumstance.
"That's just peachy." you give him a fake smile as you slide your now full bag out of your shoulders, already searching the place with your eyes for a spot safe enough to set your sleeping bag, in acceptance you'd never make it out of there today. "We're fucking stuck." you scoff. Daryl only hums something unintelligible in response.
The noise was almost unbearable, outside, it rained like you hadn't seen in years, and the loud clasps the wind made on the rusty metal doors of the old store only attracted more walkers towards you.
"S'gotta be a way out." he fumbled back and forth the convenience store, searching for alternative ways to get away. His unstoppable pace alone was getting in your nerves, you knew you'd just have to wait until you could get away, with less noise and less danger.
"There is no way out, Daryl, I've checked every corner of this god damn place, we just waiting until the wind at least stops bringing in even more walkers with all that bangin'".
He ignores your words as he keps running up and down the place in search of an escape, really pissing you off after ten whole minutes of useless pacing. "You're gonna expend your whole energy just pacing 'round to find nothing." you speak to him, a little louder to be sure he'd hear from where he stood.
"T'least I'm doing somethin'!" he spits out, waving his hand.
"F'Christ sake, Daryl, m'not tryna fight here I just want us to do the logic thing."
"Which is?"
"Wait it out!" you use a louder tone again, still as polite as you could be. "We rode on our bikes here, even if we manage to get passed to walkers we wouldn't see shit on the road, plus 's already dark as fuck outside. Trust me, I know this is not exactly your idea of fun, it's nome mine either, but please stop acting like I'm fucking toxic to be around and be an adult, let's settle here for a bit and we keep going in the morning."
"Ain't acting like ya toxic, quit the drama. Jus' wasn't my ideal plans fer tonight."
"That makes two of us then."
"Got someone special waiting for ya?" he grins, playfully now, but if you searched deep in his expression you'd find a genuine concern that the answer would be yes.
"Quit it. You know what I meant."
Daryl sighs finally giving up his idea, there was no way out and he knew it. The idea of spending the night there with you wasn't bothering him, quite the opposite, he was struggling to find a way out because he didn't want to face the fact he would have to spend that full night alone with you and keep his hands off you. You were off limits now. And it was all his fault too.
"There." he points to a corner on the store, far enough from all doors and windows. "We can tie tins 'round the doors t'make noise of they come in. I take the first watch."
"No way, Daryl, I'll do the first, you were on watch at the gates last night, you must me exhausted."
"Y'know I can handle it."
"I do. But let me take the first, you're more useful to me rested." you hide your concern on a logical excuse, if you only said 'you need some rest' he'd probably tell you to go fuck yourself and mind your own business. But he only nods, deciding not to discuss again, allowing himself to finally feel the weight of his body hit after a sleepless night and a full day on the road.
"Fine. Wake me up if ya need anything." you both start to fix up the corner Daryl pointed earlier, the thunderstorm felt even heavier now, you could only hope that the branches you arranged to hide your bikes would still be in place, although it sounded quite impossible with that wind.
After you're settled, you whisper a timid "night" to Daryl before fixing yourself onto your own spot. It takes about twenty minutes until you hear his deep breaths indicating he dozed off already, you knew well his signs of a deep sleep, after three years together, even now that you were apart for more than half a year, you could still pinpoint all of his manners easily.
Sometimes he spoke on his sleep, too, so when he started to say your name you didn't mind it. The thing is, the third time he said it, still in his sleep, you checked it, it sounded more like a whine than a normal call to you. When you finally decided to turn your head to him, you felt your cheeks burn.
Daryl was still tugged in his sleep bag, only a few feet from yours, his hips rocked on a steady rhythm agains the floor, and from time to time, he spilled your name from his lips. "Holy shit." you whisper to yourself, he was having an erotic dream. Feeling you're trespassing a line you shouldn't go though, you get up, and you step closer to him, still not deciding what to do. But only to be sure.
Before you could stop yourself, you tap on his shoulder, just slightly, not to alarm, still, Daryl wakes up in a jolt, pushing a knife from under his jacket that served as a pillow and pointing it to your throat. His hair was damp from sweat, his cheeks red and swollen from sleep. The rain outside still fell loudly.
"Relax." you hold your hands up in surrender. "I just thought you were having a nightmare." lie.
"Was doing just fine." Daryl lowers his knife, and his cheeks burn once he's flooded with the memories of his most recent dream. "Did I-?" he cuts himself 'say anything?' was what he menat to say, unsure of what signs did he let out on his unconscious state of mind.
"You were just saying my name, I figured you had a nightmare so I came to check." liar.
"Alright."
"Are you okay, Daryl?" you step closer to him, feeling he was getting flustered with your presence, you were having fun.
"Yeah. Jus' fine." he looks everywhere but to you. "I can take watch now."
"Sure." you squat to level with his eyes. "I didn't really sound like a bad dream, tho." this time, your tone was low, intimate, like you encouraged him to spill out a secret. Just between you. He says your name hoarsely, almost like a warning. "What?" you felt suddenly encouraged to face him about it, because if you face your own feelings, you miss him too. "What was the dream about, Daryl?"
"Yer asking 's 'cause yknow, I ain't gonna say it." he tried to look into your eyes, what lasted for under a second, he felt embarrassed, caught. Wouldn't be the first time he's dreamt of the feeling of your body against his once again, about his hands gripping your flesh like you'd vanish and the wet sloppy kisses you shared lost in blissful pleasure. The thoughts by itself made him feel his bulge growing again.
"It's okay, Daryl, y'know, if you can tell me your dream, I might actually help you make it come true." you use your indicator to slightly pull his chin up, hovering your lips on his. "Tell me, what was I doing t'you that made you say my name like that?" Daryl shivers. Words still dead in his throat. After what felt like an eternity, still in silence, in a single move, he pulls you from the back of your neck to the the deepest kiss you'd ever shared, you felt like he'd swallow you hole if he could, invading your mouth with his tongue while making animalistic groans as you straddled his lap in the middle of the kiss.
"Fuck, I missed you," he stops, breathless, stripping your shirt off without wasting time, afraid if he stopped to think about it his racional side would decide that he shouldn't be doing this. "I missed this." he takes your breasts in his mouth like he was savoring his last meal, tongue licking and teeth nibbling on your nipples.
"Mhm, I missed you too, Dixon." you stare down at the sight of him savoring your boobs, even with a limited sight due the darkness still out there, that alone set your core dripping and sore. "We should've never stopped doing this." you grin down at him, thunders lit up the room every now and then, revealing his wide pupils that gazed at your face. "S'a little unfair I'm the only one undressed here, huh?" you manage to get a smile from him, still not letting go of your nipple.
You tug your hands under his shirt, he steps back from you just for long enough that the shirt is out and tossed to the dusty floors, as he wastes no time to be back to your chest, you trace the scars on his back, getting lost in the feeling of having him so close after so long. You had his scars mapped in your head, just as every other mark on his body, tattoos, every freckle and every single spot.
You push his face back to connect his lips to yours, angling yourself just enough to start opening the buttons of his pants, pushing yourself down for a bit just to feel him grow under you. You were about to lift yourself up to take your own pants and underwear off, but Daryl had other plans.
He shifts your position, putting you underneath him, sliding off your pants with ease, he kneels between your legs, admiring the view he hadn't thought he'd ever see again. You under him, barely lit in the thick darkness of the night, but he didn't need to see your face to know how you were looking at him, as soon as he placed his thick fingers in your folds, he felt it. You hissed at his first touch, pushing your hips up for more.
"Want me inside ya? Hm?" he slaps his hand hardly agains your core, getting a needy whine from you.
Dayl lowers himself to level his face with yours. "I want to hear you ask."
"Fuck me, Daryl, for God's sake just– please, do it, I miss you."
"No need to say it twice, darlin'." he slips his tongue in your mouth again, you knew this whole thing was his way to say he regretted his decision, he regretted pushing you away and was trying to get you back. You unpaciently put your hand between you to angle him inside of you, pushing his cock to meet your dripping wet core. Daryl smiles against your lips at the fact you couldn't wait for longer. That made him feel glad.
The second you conect his dick with your pussy he doesn't take another second to slowly push himself fully in, enjoying the bliss that every inch more inside of you made him feel like he was the luckiest son of a bitch left in this whole entire world for having you just for him, delivered like this for him, fully his.
Daryl pulls one of your legs up to his shoulder to reach you in every small spot he still knew exactly how to get to in your body, you whine as he goes in even deeper, pushing your own hips agains his, begging for more friction, he kisses your leg that's on his shoulder as he rolls his hips deliciously reaching every right place.
After a while being pacient and slow, Daryl gets lost into a fog of pleasure, making his moves faster, more desperate, pushing his thumb against your clit hardly as he thrusts into you searching for his own release. All of a sudden, he stops. Before you could think to ask, he pushes himself out, gaining a disapproval look from you. "Wha‐" he turns you to your back, automatically making you angle your ass up as he kneels behind you.
"You wanted to t'know what I dreamed." he lowers his body, his chest glued to your back, hands slipping from your belly until grasping your neck, angling your ears to where his mouth was. "I was dreaming I fucked you like this."
Before you could even think to respond, Daryl ajusts himself inside of you again, hands firmly on your hips as he pushed himself in as hard as he could, ripping dirty sounds from both of you, mixing with the clasps your his hips made when they crashed against your ass over and over again.
Daryl could feel like you were close by the way you always tightened around him, pushing harder into you while he brought his hand to massage your clit to drive you to your nirvana.
"Cum f'me I know ya want it, can feel you tight around me." when Daryl says it, it's the end for you, you melt into the floor, Daryl's grasp being the only thing that kept you in position while he kept his movements searching for his own release that didn't take to long to come, when he feels it coming he holds you even tighter, making a move to pull out, but you push yourself back, holding him in place.
"I want it inside of me, Dixon." me thrusts a few more before finally letting go inside of you, growling and melting on top of your sweaty body.
You twirl to be on your back, Daryl still on top of you, like clockwork, your hands start drawing small patterns on his back, stroking his hair in between.
"I meant it, y'know." you finally say, breaking the silence, Daryl turns his neck to keep his eyes on your face.
"What?"
"When I said I missed you, I think we were to harsh on ourselves. We deserve a chance to be happy, Daryl," you cup his cheek, running your thumb on a small scar he got on his cheek. "to try, at least."
He only nods, lifting himself up smiling and pressing a light, loving kiss on your forehead, know he wasn't good with words. But you knew he was agreeing to give you both a chance to be happy, together again.
never in his life would daryl think that he'd even have a chance at getting with an angel like you. he was always perceived as hard to be with or hard to love— so naturally he thought that he didn't deserve it. he thought often that you didn't know what you were doing when you confessed to him how you felt, or that you would leave him at the first sign of any emotional weakness.
but how could he think any of that now that you laid beneath him, naked and vulnerable while his eyes rack up and down your small frame— when his eyes would meet yours and only see a look of lust and admiration, like he held the world. he was so beyond thankful that whatever was up above sent him the likes of you.
"god— thank you, thank you angel— fuck." he chanted his thankfulness right into your ear as he used his big hand to guide his pre covered tip to your sopping entrance, moaning so loud that it caught even you off guard as he pressed in so slowly that you swore you could see the stars above. it always felt like heaven with him.
“what’re you thanking me for baby?” you questioned, head lolling back into the soft pillows beneath. your hands roamed the exposed skin of his toned chest and abdomen blindly, but this had been such a regular thing with daryl that you had memorized every inch of his body that he’d let you see. it made him shiver as goosebumps formed under your fingertips each time.
“you. m’thankful for you. i don’t deserve this, don’t deserve to be inside you like this. thank you for allowing it, such an angel for me.” he babbled out like a man too far gone, moving his hips to pull out until just his tip was left inside before slowly pushing back in. the stretch of him was so perfect that you grew more wet each passing second.
“fuck baby— you deserve it, don’t gotta thank me.” you whined out as he continued fucking you slow, like he was savouring every moment he had with you right now— as if it would be the last. it could never be the last time in your mind, you loved the man above you so much that you’d take a bullet for him in a heartbeat.
“i do,” he moaned as his motions became sloppier than before, using more force to jump inside of your squelching cunt. he felt like he was going to cum the moment he felt your gummy walls around him but now? he didn’t think he could hold on much longer, feeling his tip press into your spongy cervix with each deep thrust. “i do gotta thank you— thank you for this perfect pussy, for letting a pathetic man like me ruin you.”
his words made you clench around his cock in fluttering motions, feeling closer than you initially thought at how desperate and whiny he sounded. “keep talking baby… m’close.” you breathed out into his ear as he leaned down to lay kisses all over your face, hips rolling up into his to help chase your high.
“can feel you squeezin’ me angel, so thankful that i get to make you cum— feel you milking me every night. shit, m’close too…” his breathing became sporadic and raspy as his motions picked up on speed, clearing trying to chase his release along with you. the sound of his hips snapping against yours echoed in the bedroom, urging you on far enough that you felt the coil snap from within.
you could really see the stars above now, like they had moved down on you as your body caved and arched into daryl’s chest— orgasm crashing so hard that your mouth stayed agape and your eyes rolled back into your head, squeezing shut as profanities fall from your lips like a mantra. you knew that you were in heaven now.
and daryl? feeling your walls squeeze the life out of him, he couldn’t help but give a few more jerks of his hips before spilling— stuffing you full with his white-hot load, mumbling and babbling about how he was the luckiest man on the earth and letting more thank you’s fall from his lips in the form of moans and mewls.
“fuck, fuck, fuck— angel thank you so much. i can’t believe i get to cream this cunt, fill you up so full. so thankful— shit.” you could barely hear over the ringing in your ears as your body still took its time recovering from the heavenly orgasm the washed over it. your chest was rising and falling quickly in an attempt to catch your breath.
summary: being chased through the forest by your husband, a means of spicing things up :)
warnings: prey!predator dynamic, f!masturbation, unprotected p in v, dirty talk, dub-con??, doggy!style, orgasm (f and m), cream!pie, pain!play (if you squint), unedited, breeding kink?
setting: none really, could be any setting you’d like.
word count: 2.1k
note: this is such a huge fantasy that i have, and yes i’ve mentioned it to my partner and he’s down 😊👅✨
you don't think you've ever ran so fast for so long ever in your life than you did now. you felt like you would pass out from oxygen deprivation as you tried to heave in any type of air as you pressed on. along with that came the ache in your bare feet as you went, feeling rocks and sticks jab into them with every heavy step.
behind you, you could hear him. the way his boots thudded to the forest ground so heavy made your heart race. the way he grunted in breaths here and there made you shiver— goosebumps forming across your entire body, nightgown being so thin that it left nothing to the imagination (or warmth) as the moon lit up your bare body beneath.
in your own twisted way you couldn't help but feel the exhilaration course through your veins, flowing down to your pussy that was nearly dripping down your legs you were so turned on. you wished that you had done this sooner with your partner, maybe by now you'd have let him had his fantasy of breeding you so full that you were popping out twins in 9 months.
but alas you had ran and ran and ran so far from the cabin that you had found abandoned— base camp to this operation if you will, that new ignitions had been sparked into your brain. thinking that if he were to catch you in the time frame you had discussed that you wouldn't make it back to shelter, he could have you right on the dirty forest ground.
"damnit stop fuckin' runnin' from me woman!" his voice boomed out as you took a moment to hide behind a tree, lungs becoming so painful that you had no other choice— you were able to taste iron in the back of your throat. you only hoped that he wouldn't find you now, it would be too easy that way.
"fuck— where tha hell she go?" you heard him whisper to himself as he passed your hiding spot and continued on his way. all you could see was his leather vest disappear into the dark brush, flashlight scoping around from his hand as he tried to find you. you grinned to yourself and booked it from the direction you came from.
when you got far enough that you could barely see the light, you decided to give him a hint. if not for him, then for yourself as the ache in your clit refused to dissipate. "daryl? aren't you going to come and find me? i'm dripping over here and i need help, she's crying for you." you shouted in your best porn star voice, whining as you brought two fingers between your legs to feel just how soaked you were.
your eyes fluttered closed at the contact, dainty fingers slipping between slick covered folds— yearning for the touch that only he could give. just thinking about it illicit's a moan from your lips, leaning against the tree as you swirled your clit a few times while listening out for daryl. you couldn't hear anything now.
that made you so excited, wondering where he was or if he had already found you and was watching you like a pervert somewhere beyond the trees. daryl was a hunter after all, precision and tracking his main thing that he does nowadays. so of course you knew he could find you if he was really trying to.
"why don't ya do both of us a favour then bunny; come out and lemme ruin ya." the name had drawn out a lengthy moan from you, fingers moving faster and faster as his footsteps became audible again. too close for comfort, but you couldn't help but feel elated.
you didn't dare answer him, that would kill the thrill that shot through you like a bullet. you wanted to be the prey— him the hunter. the dynamic was too sweet to ruin buy caving into his very appealing offer. "what now? cat got yer tongue? come on baby— be a good bunny and come out for me."
clasping a hand over your mouth to hide any type of noise that could fall from your lips, you couldn't help but feel like you were going to cum from his words alone. it was too good. you felt him all around you, like if you moved an inch your position would be given away. but maybe it was worth it now...
your fingers could only get you so far.
"but i'm such a scared bunny dar... how do i know you won't kill me." your voice was barely a whisper, reason being that if he was close he'd be able to hear you. if he wasn't then your spot was safe— even though every part of you wanted him to find you by now.
"oh baby, don't worry a single hair on that pretty little head of yers..." his voice grumbles out inches away from your back as it pressed further into the tree, your fingers gaining speed as they circle your clit. you felt like you were going to explode if you didn't feel the waves of this impending orgasm that was taunting you so much. "i won't hurt ya that bad."
a scream falls from your lips as the sudden weight of big hands fall upon your shoulders, fingertips digging into your soft supple flesh. you hadn't realized he was that close to you, but now that his hands were on you the feeling of your orgasm had dissipated— only to be quenched by him now, like the good submissive bitch you'd become for him.
"look at that, touching yerself like a bitch in heat eh?" he rasped into your ear, not moving from his spot on the other side of the tree. his hands traveled down your arms until they found your fingers placed on your dripping cunt. your body shook as he felt between your folds, smear slick all over before releasing his grasp and stomping to be in front of you.
"mmm— m-sorry dar, couldn't help myself. need you, need your big hands down there." your body rolled into his, grinding down on your own hand for any friction as you could barely make out his frame in front of you. you couldn't tell what his next move was and it excited you even more.
"such a good girl telling me where ya need me, don't worry bunny— i'll help ya. come back with me." his command made your heart sink, you didn't want to head back yet. you wanted him to do you right here and now. it elicited a sharp whine from your chest.
"no, take me right here. i don't wanna wait, can't you feel that she's ready for you? dripping down my legs and all, like a dirty girl." his dick twitched painfully against his jeans at the sound of your pleading voice, feeling as you grabbed his hand and pulled it to your heated sex— groaning as he felt how soaked you'd gotten in the matter of minutes.
"anything for ya baby, fuck— all this f'me?" daryl moved in closer, caging you in with one arm as the other urged his fingers to gingerly rub circles in place of your own digits. you'd grown so hot it was like you'd developed a fever, sweat shining in the moonlight as a thin layer coated you.
"all for you, she's all yours." you moaned, happily allowing yourself to let go. you couldn't even hold back your orgasm if you tried, the shake in your legs and clench around nothing feeling to good.
"ya really like being chased like that huh? feeling like a little prey, being hunted and fucked when found huh? yeah i'll show ya a good time bunny, show ya what it's like to be helpless."
the sudden feeling of his fingers leaving your pussy made you nearly sob, being so close and having it ripped from your grasp. you were about to make a bratty comment about it until he suddenly pushed you down to the forest floor, twigs and rocks digging deliciously into your palms and knees as he positioned you into a downward dog.
"stay right there baby, ass up in the air f'me. so perfect, can see yer dripping cunt from here." you heard his belt buckle undo in a clattering noise before falling to the ground with a thud, "gonna fuck her so good, give her what she wants." another high pitched moan escaped you, body moving back and forth feverishly as you tried to feel anything.
"so needy, don't worry bunny i'm right here." he chuckled out lowly, pulling his jeans and boxers down to his mid thigh before getting on his knees— gripping your hips suddenly and pulling you towards him. you yelped at the feeling of the rough group scratching your knees.
god you loved when he was rough.
without anymore foreplay, mostly because he couldn't wait any longer (his erection so painful that even if he wanted to he couldn't), he lined his glistening tip up to your slick entrance and pushed himself in with one smooth motion. the stretch was so painful but so good as he split you in half from the back.
"fuck!!" you yell, earning a sharp spank to your exposed ass. your night gown already didn't cover much, but in this position it only sufficed as a rolled up piece of fabric at the back of your head as your entire back side was exposed to daryl's eyes.
"better keep it down bunny, don't need unwanted company." he pressed his body harder into your as he began thrusting at a brutal pace, no time to get used to his size in your tight cunt. he really was serious when he said he'd show you what it was to be helpless. you felt like you couldn't do anything under his guise.
"sorry dar, your just so big— don't know if i can take you like this... pussy's too tight." you mumble, cheek now pressed to the dirt. you're body was slipping the more you tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but it was no used. it only urged him to fucking you harder and deeper, feeling his tip slam against the sponge of your cervix.
"ya can baby, takin' me right now.. shit, so good f'me." you clenched hard at his worse, cunt tightening even more around his cock. he felt like he was going to cum already, not having much restraint when it came to you being under him like this and taking him so painfully good.
“i can’t, i can’t, i can’t!” you chanted, sobbing as you moaned out and whined from beneath him. he knew he had you right where he wanted you, only getting like this when you were about to be a good girl and cum for him. “s’to much! your too big.” and despite your words, your body pushed back into him as he thrusted with all his might. it only drew a low rumble of a chuckle from his chest.
“ya gonna cum for me baby? gonna be a good bunny and cream my cock?” he tried everything to get you to orgasm, his impending release creeping up too fast now. being the gentlemen he was though, he wouldn’t until you did. so he reached his hand around your hip and used his fingers to harshly rub your clit in circle that matched the speed of his thrusts.
you clenched hard, pussy beginning to flutter around daryl’s cock so much that he felt like he was going to explode, “fuck there ya go baby, give it t’me.” and not even a couple seconds later you were a shaking and moaning mess beneath him as your orgasm exploded like butterflies from within your lower abdomen.
your vision became filled with stars as daryl’s own release shoots in the form of hot, thick white ropes into your womb. the feeling of him filling you up made you collapse onto the forest ground, feeling him jerking in and out a few times before pulling out with a hiss— watching as his hot cum seeps out of your abused hole.
he couldn’t help but bring two fingers up to use to shove him release back inside your pussy, too dazed by the fact that he was watching his release drip from you, the woman he wanted to have a million kids with in his fantasy world. he’d secretly hoped it stuck this time.
“we should do that again.” you laughed out, catching your breath in quick motions as you brought daryl back to reality— moaning at his ministrations.
summary: usually the dead don’t protect humans, or so we thought.
warnings: zombie!reader, mentions of blood, kinda angst, killing, established relationship, intentional age!gap though not mentioned. no use of y/n. unedited. pilot, but eventual smut as the fic goes on. emotional yearning daryl, descriptive blood and gore, kissing :)
setting: alexandria (post-whisperers)
word count: 2.3k+
credits: @tophollands inspired me to do this as they have a zombie!leon fic and we’ve established this theme would work well in twd. they were inspired by @quackysprouts zombie!leon art as well.
divider credit: @solitary-serendipity
ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙʟᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴜᴍᴇ
how hard could it be to take you beyond the walls without incident? so far it's proven to be a little too easy in daryl's opinion. things were never just an in and out thing nowadays, especially not when it came to going outside of sanctuary. and especially not when he had his walker-fied girlfriend with him.
there was a lot more he needed to focus on, which he came to learn quickly as you both trudged through the thick greenery of the forest just surrounding alexandria. the vastness made his throat tighten and anxiety spike for what felt like the first time ever. to say it scared him was an understatement.
every feeling was amplified everytime he turned to see you a little ways behind him, unable to keep up in your state as you shuffle your feet gently but loudly against the crunchy leaves and snapping twigs. he knew that you were indeed a little bit faster than ordinary walkers, but god were you still slow.
the last thing he needed was for you to fall so far behind that there was a chance something could over take you in your more fragile and slow state. point noted again: you definitely weren't as sharp as you used to be, however you still had somewhat of a reflex to danger left over in your cloudy mind.
"sweetheart, ya need to try to keep up. can ya do that f'me?" he asked gently, pausing his heavy steps and allowing time for you to catch up. he couldn't help but reach for you, encouraging you to try and walk at his pace.
you ended up just frowning at daryl, saddened by the fact that you were slowing him down. it made tears brim from your waterline, threatening to spill at the fact that you're disappointing your partner— brain not comprehending that he just wanted to give a gentle reminder and that he was, in fact, not mad.
the tiniest noise fell from your lips, resembling the whine of a kicked puppy as you reached out for him. you needed to make it known that you were sorry in any way or form possible— even taking it as far as to shakily point in the direction of alexandria as if asking if he wanted to turn back. daryl only shook his head.
"no my sweet girl, we aren't going back because of that. just needa keep ya safe is all." he lifted a comforting hand to your cheek, something he had grown to know that you appreciated— something that visibly calmed you down without fail since you turned. it also comforted him in a way, still being able to regulate himself as long as he could touch you. it kept his emotions at bay.
"how 'bout i slow down with ya instead?" his question made your ears perk up and your mood change in the snap of a finger— as if he knew that his offer would cheer you up. you offered him a sweet and knowing smile, bouncing on the balls of your feet lightly in excitement. he swore if you had a tail it'd be wagging. "yeah, ya like that idea sweetheart? then let's continue."
you nodded slowly, groaning out in content as you continued walking— every so often sneaking a glance at daryl as if to see if he was truly happy at your pace and speed. he noticed but didn't chose to say much, just reciprocating the short glances and taking in the differences he's noticed once more; like he couldn't get enough of you even now.
he found beauty in your paling skin, noticing how it's started to take almost a light grey tinge. your veins were still red beneath your flesh, confirming that the infection hadn't fully taken over. when he looked into your eyes he noticed how even though they were completely frosted over, they still shined with so much light. even when he dragged his gaze down to your lips, still pink as ever, his heart melted.
he found himself wanting to kiss you again, wanting to love you the way he did before. he missed it, missed your loving touch so much it hurt his soul. his face faltered as his heart pounded in a sad rhythm from the restraint of his ribcage. daryl never considered himself the type to yearn for anyone, but god damnit you had such a hold on him it was far from funny.
why did whatever's up above have to curse his life so much that he felt he couldn't have anything good anymore? he definitely picked the short straw throughout his entire existence— it was maddening so much so that he couldn't even focus anymore if he wanted to. he was too deep in thought now that he couldn't stop his hands from shaking.
however, as he was fighting for control over his mind he hadn't realized that you had unwanted visitors— that is until he heard you growl like a dog, jumping in front of him to shield him from whatever was out there. to say he was shocked was an understatement— never have you done this before, daryl was always the one that shielded you.
"don't do that. ya get behind me ya understand?" his voice was stern, concern and worry laced with every word. he couldn't help himself— taking in the view of the walker stumbling clumsily diagonally from the two of you.
you turn around to look at him, but he didn't see the you he saw moments ago. your eyes, though expressionless, had somehow become more blank than before as your eyes trace where his landed on the threat. your face was scrunched up like a wild animal, hands braced and tight like you were ready to claw and kill anything that crossed your path— like nothing could stop you.
as if on queue, another twig snapped from somewhere too close for comfort and daryl watched as your head snapped in that direction. you growled and continued scanning where you assumed the noise had come from before milky eyes sharply land on another walker headed your direction this time.
bingo.
another snarl left your lips, quickly glancing at daryl with a defiant look in your eye.
without another moment, you start a fast pace over towards the male walker— still not being able to run at full speed, just a steady speed walk. it was the fastest that you had moved since turning, and as much of a tense moment this was daryl couldn't help but note that progress within you. marking it as your instincts heightened while in the face of the enemy.
"hey! stop, get back here!" you subconsciously heard him call you, but you couldn't stop until the threat was eliminated even if you tried. your sights were locked in and nothing would break that— not even the possibility of you being over run. daryl wasn't sure yet if the walkers knew what was wrong with you— still detected you as a human or not.
but to answer his question he watched as the walker turned in your direction, ignoring you completely and focusing on him as he got closer. another note to make; walkers don't care for you. at least that made him feel somewhat better— even if you were going head on into a situation you didn't need to put yourself in.
the walker clearly made you angry, evident in the way you lunge at the much beefier body and knock him over all while growling and moaning and sounding like a true monster. you went down with him, straddling his chest as you began ripping and clawing flesh and bone until you were a filthy, bloody mess— taking it as far to use your teeth when your fingers failed you.
your movements never once halted even as you noticed the walker went slack beneath you, finally dead as you use closed fists to bash its skull in; ignoring the sound of cracking bone and the squelching of flesh like you were used to it. you simply couldn't resist the urge to tear it apart, all in the name of protecting daryl— who stood there with shock laced upon his face after taking down the second walker.
this was worse than the first time he seen you kill, it was like a massacre with one body only.
it was like you weren't conscious. like you're mind had been shut off completely and all you could focus on was 'kill, kill, kill'. this was the type of thing that he subconsciously worried about, you losing control like this. but in the name of figuring out how you function now he couldn't help but just take everything in.
once your eyes landed on daryl again, you stood up and made your way to him like nothing happened— smile once again accentuating your pretty face though smeared in darkened walker blood. it was as if you were proud of what you did, reaching up to place a sticky hand on top of his shoulder in a comforting way.
your head tilted to the side once you noticed that he didn't reciprocate the proudness you felt deep within for protecting him— instead you gathered that he was quite stunned and could barely speak. it made you suddenly sink into yourself, embarrassment creeping up in the form of a red flush to your paled cheeks; seen even through the now drying blood.
taking a stumbling step back, you raised your hand to your own face and viciously started to try to rub the blood off as if that could fix what daryl saw you do. he didn't know that you couldn't control it, that something unworldly took over in the midst of him even possibly being in any ounce of trouble. it made you feral, made you want to do things you'd normally never do.
new tears sprung on as you continued, using the bottom of your now dirtied tee to try and wipe even more muck off. it became like a frenzy for you, tears spilling and hands trying so hard to clean yourself that it turned your skin into a rash. once daryl snapped to, he rushed to your side and grabbed your hands go still your motions. your chest heaved as a loud growl left your lips.
"hey, hey, it's alrigh'. stop, yer only hurtin' yerself." he brought your hands down with force as you tried to rip them from his grasp so you could clean yourself once again. you groaned loudly, almost like you were in distress as you sobbed through it. you didn't know how to regulate yourself anymore, that went out the window with many other things that dreadful day.
"sweet girl... it'll be okay. stop fightin'." the hunter tried his best to keep you from harming yourself any further, but you were so strong and he was losing the will to keep your shaky hands at bay, "it's okay! ya were protecting me weren't ya? keepin' me safe?"
his words of acknowledgment gained your attention as you were able to nod gently, strangled cries and whines still escaping you— though you were able to finally drop your shirt, subconsciously rubbing the backs of your hands against the cotton fabric instead of using it to scrub your face.
"there ya go— good girl," daryl praised, smiling sadly at you, "thank ya for protecting me sweetheart. that was good. ya did good." he knew this was what you wanted to hear so desperately, needing the confirmation. he couldn't help but pair you with the likes of a puppy trailing after and protecting its owner, the contrast too strong.
daryl wrapped his arms around you, shoving your face to his chest as his grip tightens. you melted instantly, body shaking as you cried it out. it felt nice, making you wish that you could thank him even though he most likely knew you were so thankful already for him.
but despite anything, you wanted to show him how much it meant to you— even if you couldn’t speak. and your mind was able to remember that kissing was a form of thankfulness, so you made the decision that was what you’d do.
and daryl would be lying if the way you pushed against his chest, propping up in your tippy toes, and planting a soft kiss to his cheek, didn't make his heart beat so fast he swore you could hear it. he didn't think you'd know what that meant until now, what it would do to him at just the slight of intimate contact with him.
“hmmm…” you hum out in content, body finally relaxing after the comfort daryl offered.
“ya feel better?” he questioned, steel blues staring so deeply into your eyes that he thought if he looked hard enough that he’d see your soul.
you nodded quickly, looking down at the state of your clothes and then back up to daryl— once again pointing in the direction of alexandria with a sad smile braced onto your lips.
he knew what you wanted now, to go back and clean up. he didn’t blame you one bit, but was saddened by the fact his time with his girl in a free setting was over. maybe it was for the best, of course he thought that; but he couldn’t help but want to spend more one on one time.
especially after that soft little kiss that you’d lay upon his cheek, making his heart race and making him feel like a giddy teen again. god he hadn’t realized how much he missed it until it happened, wishing you would have kissed his lips instead— but he’d be willing to take anything at this point. desperate for it.
“i’m glad, can head home now. clean up time.”
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